Mosquito nets for hospitalised dengue patients will take the sting off the rampaging disease

Dengue is on the rampage despite many unsuccessful efforts to eradicate breeding grounds of the mos- quito.

A recent worrying incident was when a child who was admitted to the cardiac ward at Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo was taken up for cardiac surgery after over a month’s stay in the ward and was diagnosed as having Dengue two days following surgery (while in the ICU) clearly indicating that the virus was contracted while in hospital.

How could this happen? Yes, the hospital is overburdened by dengue patients from all over the country who carry the dengue virus in abundance. Also the hospital is not mosquito- free and these mosquitoes feed on the dengue-infected blood. These infected mosquitoes then bite other kids who have come for treatment of other illnesses as well as staff members resulting in them contracting dengue once they are discharged needing re-admission once again, this time for dengue.

As a preventive measure hospitals carry out fogging which drives out all the infected virus loaded mosquitoes which are similar to highly destructive missiles to the neighbourhood thereby infecting all those living in the vicinity of the hospitals which may be one reason why the Western Province which has so many large hospitals with dengue patients has the most number of dengue cases.

I suggest that it be made mandatory that all dengue patients in hospitals should be nursed under the cover of a mosquito net at all times which would greatly help reduce the incidence of the disease.

Eradicating the mosquitoes is of paramount importance but it seems impossible so the next best strategy would be to prevent the mosquitoes getting access to the virus and thereby preventing the spread of the disease.

I feel we should change our focus as all our efforts in preventing the rampage of dengue have failed.

I hope health authorities would look into this and issue strict guidelines to all health care institutions on use of nets for all patients being treated for dengue.

Dr. Shehan Perera Lady Ridgeway Hospital for

Children, Colombo