The health ministry said steps have been taken to control the spread of dengue, reports Xinhua news agency.
It said over 70,000 people have been affected by dengue and of them 25% are below
the age of 19.
“It has been decided to deploy 100 civil defence force members at several hospitals to assist in dealing with patients with
dengue,” it said.
Sri Lanka has suffered a record 200 deaths from dengue fever this year, the health minister said Monday, blaming a garbage disposal crisis in Colombo.
Rotting garbage has been piling up in many parts of the capital since the country’s main rubbish tip collapsed in April, crushing dozens of homes and killing 32 people.
With nowhere to take the trash, municipal collection has drastically slowed and led to huge piles on the streets which authorities say are encouraging mosquito-breeding.
“The situation could get worse if we don’t tackle the garbage problem quickly,” Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said as official figures showed 210 people had died from dengue so far this year – well over double the figure for the whole of 2016.
“It is not something my ministry can do alone but we need a collective effort.”
Stagnant water left behind after last month’s flooding was also seen as contributing to the spread of dengue, a tropical disease spread by mosquitoes.