Dengue - No cause for alarm

Despite some distorted news items which depicted a bleak picture about dengue, there is no cause for alarm about this disease. 

3,500 cases of dengue and 350 deaths were reported in 2009 and due to new treatment methods adopted by the Health Ministry the number of patients and deaths were considerably reduced last year, amounting to 240 deaths.

This was stated by Dr. Priyankara Jayawardene, Resident Consultant Physician of the Health Ministry addressing a media conference at the Information Department yesterday afternoon. The doctor said that during the last four months, doctors and the health staff in all hospitals had been enlightened through work-shops on the improved methods of treatment of dengue patients.  He said these methods were formulated based on experience gained locally and internationally with the cooperation and assistance of the WHO.  He said that based on these treatment practices a Guideline has been prepared and would be made available to all hospitals shortly.

Dr. Priyankara said that due to the competitive nature of the educational system, parents send their children suffering from fever to school after giving Panadol or Paracetamol without allowing them to rest and receive proper treatment. If the child is affected by dengue fever it could become worse and even turn fatal.  He therefore appealed to the parents to refrain from this practice and direct their children for hospital treatment when they show signs of fever. 

The doctor also said that even the private sector and bank employees work long hours disregarding the fever, and requested that they too should obtain proper treatment and take leave or rest for several hours when affected with fever.

He also said the patients who show signs of fever should not to drink too much of water — say 5 to 6 litres a day — in the belief that it could minimise the dengue threat and said that drinking too much water would dilute the mineral content in the body. He recommended that one should take only the normal intake of water, say 2 to 2 ½ litres and nothing more.

The Resident Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrema also addressed the media conference. (www.news.lk)