COLOMBO, June 22 — Sri Lanka recorded 1,069 dengue cases in the past 24 hours, pushing the total number of infections reported this year to 47,179, while the death toll has reached 28, according to the Daily Mirror newspaper.
The newspaper cited Dr. Kapila Kannangara, acting director of the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), as saying that during non-epidemic periods, Sri Lanka typically records between 150 and 200 dengue cases per day.
However, amid the current high-risk situation, daily infections have recently surged to between 600 and 650 cases, he said.
The sharp increase in cases comes as health experts raised concerns over garbage accumulation near the Ministry of Health in Colombo, warning that the waste could become a breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
According to the Daily Mirror, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, chairman of the Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights, said garbage had accumulated along Norris Canal Road and surrounding areas within a 50-meter radius of the Health Ministry, creating potential mosquito breeding sites.
Dr. Sanjeewa said large amounts of waste had been dumped along roadsides and pathways, particularly on Norris Canal Road, posing a growing public health concern.
He added that residential properties, apartment complexes, and hotels located near the Health Ministry had also been affected.
According to the report, Dr. Sanjeewa warned that the garbage had remained unattended for several days, allowing rainwater to collect in discarded items such as orange peels and other waste materials, creating ideal conditions for mosquito breeding.
He further cautioned that the unsanitary conditions could pose a risk to patients receiving treatment at the nearby National Hospital of Sri Lanka and several private hospitals in the area.
Dr. Sanjeewa called on the deputy director general of the National Hospital, the secretary of the Health Ministry, and the relevant sanitation divisions of the Colombo Municipal Council to take immediate action to remove the garbage and address the potential dengue threat, the Daily Mirror reported.
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