The Ministry of Health has taken measures to transfer Dengue patients to other hospitals, as the Angoda Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) has reportedly hit capacity owing to the influx of Dengue patients.

Accordingly, Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has instructed officials to implement a programme enabling the transfer of patients from IDH to the Colombo-North Teaching Hospital as well as other hospitals in Thalangama, Wethara and Piliyandala.

An estimated 450 patients are currently reported to be receiving treatment for Dengue at IDH, the majority of them being from regions outside of the Western Province.

The Health Ministry states that necessary measures have been taken to purchase 200 additions beds as well as ensure that a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, attendants and labourers are at the disposal of the aforementioned hospitals.

The Ministry also stated that steps had been taken to improve the standards of the Intensive Care Units (ICU) of the Colombo-North and Colombo-South Teaching Hospitals, and added that patients could also be admitted to said hospitals.

Since the commencement of 2017, 62,000 Dengue patients have been reported up-to-date.

The Ministry of Health further stated that a Dengue prevention programme would be operational during the course of today (15) and tomorrow (16), under which house inspections and fumigations have already been initiated across 21 districts.

The Ministry also added that the issue revolving around the improper disposal of garbage would also be investigated under the programme.