Health issues spur Jaffna officials to act

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 January 2003, 18:50 GMT]
Alarmed by the spread of dengue, typhoid and a virus fever, Jaffna District Secretariat, in an emergency meeting convened yesterday, took decision to institute procedures to keep the peninsula clean and take all measures possible to prevent environment pollution, said sources in Jaffna.

The meeting was called at the request of the Tamil Eelam Health Unit. The Government Agent Mr.S.Pathamanathan presided

Mr.Vijititharan, head of the Jaffna Tamil Eelam Administrative Unit and Mr.Arun, head of the Tamil Eelam Health Unit, Deputy Director of Health Services Ms Uma Sivapathasuntharam and municipal health officials attended the conference.

Two residents of Jaffna died on Friday increasing the death toll to twenty-eight due to a virus fever now spreading in the Jaffna district, health officials told the attendees.

Blood samples taken from patients affected by the virus fever have been sent to the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Colombo to identify the nature of the disease, as research facilities are not available in the northeast province, sources said.

Several officials said the local authority in Jaffna city does not remove garbage daily and this is causing environmental damage and creating health problems.

Wards in Jaffna, Manipay and Manthikai hospitals are full with patients affected by dengue, typhoid and virus fever, medical sources said.

It was decided at the meeting to instruct all divisional secretaries in the peninsula to take immediate steps to prevent environment pollution and device procedures to remove garbage daily from their respective areas. Health authorities have been instructed to enforce strict health standards in eating-houses in all divisions and to close down hotels, which do not conform to the standard laid down by the health department, sources said.