Colombo, Srilanka, June 22: Sri Lanka recorded 1,069 dengue cases during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections reported this year to 47,179, while 28 deaths have been recorded, according to local media reports.
The Daily Mirror quoted Acting Director of the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), Dr Kapila Kannangara, as saying that the country generally records between 150 and 200 dengue cases per day during non-epidemic periods. However, the present situation has led to a significant increase in infections, with daily case numbers recently ranging between 600 and 650.
The rise in dengue cases has prompted concerns among health experts over garbage accumulation near the Ministry of Health in Colombo, which they say could create breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Specialist Dr Chamal Sanjeewa, Chairman of the Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights, said that garbage had accumulated along Norris Canal Road and surrounding areas within a 50-metre radius of the Health Ministry premises.
According to Dr Sanjeewa, large quantities of waste have been dumped along roadsides and pedestrian pathways, particularly on Norris Canal Road, raising public health concerns. He said that nearby residential buildings, apartment complexes and hotels have also been affected.
He further stated that the waste had remained unattended for several days, allowing rainwater to collect in discarded materials such as fruit peels and other waste items, creating conditions conducive to mosquito breeding.
Dr Sanjeewa warned that the prevailing sanitary conditions could pose a risk to patients receiving treatment at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka and several private hospitals located in the area.
He urged the Deputy Director General of the National Hospital, the Secretary to the Ministry of Health and relevant divisions of the Colombo Municipal Council to take immediate measures to remove the waste and prevent a potential increase in dengue transmission.