Treatment tied up in red tape

At the Dengue Centre while doctors and nurses are making tremendous efforts to save the lives of critically-ill patients, ironically they also have to contend with bureaucratic red tape, the Sunday Times learns.

“Although the foundation stone was laid three months ago for an essential ‘Isolation Unit’ for the Dengue Centre and the funds have been pledged by the Health Ministry for its construction, an official of the Western Provincial Health Ministry is obstructing it,” charged Head of the centre, Dr. LakKumar Fernando.

“The Health Ministry has pledged Rs. 6 million for the Isolation Unit but the Western Provincial Health Secretary M.C.L. Rodrigo is insisting on ‘procedure’ -- that construction work should be started only after all the monies are received by the Provincial Chief Secretary,” said Dr. Fernando, adding that when the Dengue Centre was built and equipped at a cost of Rs. 36 m. there were no such issues.

He said: “That too was done on a pledge and if we had to wait for the monies to be sent to the Provincial Chief Secretary the centre would not be up and running today. What was done was that during the construction phase, bills were submitted as and when required and the Health Ministry honoured its pledge and paid them.”

The Dengue Centre which has international recognition for having the world’s lowest case fatality rate for this disease, has treated nearly 2,000 patients since it was opened on July 15, 2013. It was also responsible for the zero mortality of many more dengue patients admitted to the paediatric and adult medical wards of the Negombo Hospital as well, adds Dr. Fernando. Several telephone calls to Provincial Health Secretary Rodrigo went unanswered.