Medical team to Pakistan: envoy thanks Lanka
Nadira Gunatilleke
Pakistan High Commissioner Seema Baloch thanked President Mahinda
Rajapaksa for making arrangements to send a special medical team to
Pakistan at short notice to control the dengue outbreak reported from
Punjab. Sri Lanka sent two medical teams to Pakistan on two occasions to
control dengue.
The Sri Lankan medical teams successfully controlled the dengue
epidemic within a short period. Addressing the inauguration of the
international training programme on `Dengue Epidemic Prevention,
Control and Management programme’ (DEPCAM), the international
training on case management of dengue at Galadari Hotel, Colombo
yesterday, she expressed her gratitude to President Rajapaksa, Health
Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Health Ministry Secretary Dr.Ravindra
Ruberu, the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry and Sri Lankan
medical specialists who assisted Pakistan to control the dengue
outbreak.
”The WHO has recognized dengue as an epidemic and over 100 countries
are affected by dengue. All are vulnerable to this disease. Sri Lanka
emphasized the importance of destroying dengue mosquito breeding sites
and made the public about importance of controlling dengue. This is what
I learnt from Sri Lanka,” she added.
Health Ministry Additional Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala said that
the training program will further strengthen the long standing
friendship and bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The clinical training for the 60 member Pakistan medical team will
take place at the National Hospital Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo,
Ragama Teaching Hospital, Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry and
several other venues. Prof. Asvini Fernando and Prof. Padma Gunaratne
are among the Sri Lankan medical specialists conducting the training
programme. |
