“No government can eradicate the dengue by itself. The participation of the masses is vital,” Dr Hassitha Tisserra, the head of the Sri Lankan experts’ team, said on Friday. He said that dengue fever was 100 per cent curable and people should not be afraid of it. They should instead adopt preventive measures to minimise their risks, he said. “Five per cent ignorant people can ruin the efforts of the 95 per cent who are aware and working to end the virus,” he said.
Dr Tisserra said that the Sri Lankan team had come to Lahore on chief minister’s invitation and would not leave the people of Punjab alone to face the problem.
He said that the virus could not be eliminated in a day or two and it could take up to a decade to finish it off.
The Sri Lankan team remained at Services Hospital for five hours on Friday and held meetings with its principal Prof Faisal Masood, medical superintendent Dr Muhammad Javed and other doctors.
They visited several department of the hospital and collected blood samples from patients. They also gave lectures on preventive measures and clinical treatment of dengue fever. They said that only four per cent of the dengue patients needed platelets and that others could be treated without them. Later, they visited the Gulberg area and collected water samples.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2011.
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