The number of dengue patients countrywide escalated to 12,300 and the number of dengue deaths rose to 151. The Health Ministry said it would continue battling dengue through 68 divisional secretariats coming down hard on those who failed to take precautions.

The number of dengue patients in the Colombo City from January to June this year reached 589. Chief Medical Officer, Public Health Department, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said the number of patients for the month of June was 198. The number of dengue deaths in the city was eight.

Sabaragamuwa Provincial Director of Health, Dr. Kapila Kannangara said yesterday (26), that a dengue control campaign involving school children, parents, teachers, principals and public health inspectors (PHIs) will be launched by the Sabaragamuwa Province. Each child has been given a dengue and Chikungunya control card and each day children should inspect their premises in school and home for possible mosquito breeding places.

They would have to identify such places and destroy them with the assistance of parents. The cards handed to children would be examined every Monday by the principal of the school or respective class teachers, he explained.

A PHI missing out on his or her weekly visits to one single home would have to give explanations to the provincial health directorate. This system – ‘the card system in controlling dengue,’ will be promoted in Kegalle within the next few weeks, Dr. Kannangara said.

The Civil Defence Committee (CDC), will carry out dengue awareness programmes in Matara and Hambantota today (27). The awareness programme would be followed by a cleaning programme tomorrow (28). Public sites will be cleared by the CDC and various organisations in the area. Homes will have to be cleared by those dwelling in them, a spokesman for the CDC said.

Inspections would follow on Monday, he said. The programme is carried out in collaboration with MOH offices, PHI’s, Police, Grama Niladharis and Provincial Council representatives. The programme has already been carried out in Colombo, Kandy and Gampaha, the spokesman said.