The Hindu : International : Sri Lanka steps up health measures

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

International

International

Sri Lanka steps up health measures

COLOMBO, DEC. 30. Western health officials headed to devastated areas of Sri Lanka on Thursday after officials warned about possible disease outbreaks among 1 million people sheltering in crowded refugee centres.

``Our biggest battle and fear now is to prevent an epidemic from breaking out,'' said Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. ``Clean water and sanitation is our main concern.''

Many still missing

Sunday's massive earthquake and tsunami killed at least 22,799 persons in the South Asian nation and injured 8,815, according to official tolls. Some 4,059 remained missing and nearly 1 million people are homeless.

Dr. Anil Dhasinghe, deputy director at Colombo National Hospital, said there was a need to focus on public health ``as the chances of infectious disease spreading is increasing.''

Benjamin Kauffelz of the U.S. aid agency said ``there is definitely concern'' about diseases breaking out across the country. ``Sanitation is a big issue,'' he said in Galle, Sri Lanka's second largest town and one of the worst hit by the tsunami.

In Colombo overnight, relief aircraft landed and more medical teams prepared to spread out across Sri Lanka to deal with health issues.

A U.S. Air Force plane arrived early on Thursday, bringing 26 medical specialists from the U.S. Army, Marines and Air Force, who form part of 536 Pacific Fleet Command. ``Our job is called disaster relief assessment and we'll do that in concert with the (U.S.) Embassy, try to get a handle on the magnitude of the problem,'' said Colonel Thomas Collins, the group leader.

Bloated corpses

Across the affected areas, bloated corpses were still being dragged from debris, rivers and lagoons.

At least eight persons were infected with chickenpox at a school being used as one of 32 refugee centres in northern Jaffna peninsula, said lawmaker Gajan Ponnambalam after visiting the Tamil-dominated area where at least 1,150 persons died in the tsunami.

— AP

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