Acting Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Kapila Kannangara, has revealed that 1,069 dengue cases were reported across the country within the past 24 hours.
Accordingly, the total number of dengue patients reported in Sri Lanka so far this year has risen to 47,179, while the death toll has increased to 28.
Dr. Kannangara pointed out that during periods when there is no dengue outbreak, the number of patients reported daily usually ranges between 150 and 200. However, with the current high-risk situation, the daily number of reported cases had already increased to between 600 and 650.
He further emphasized that the number of patients continues to rise and warned that urgent measures are required to bring the situation under control.
According to Dr. Kannangara, the rapid increase in dengue cases has already placed a significant burden on the country’s hospitals, exceeding their normal capacity. He warned that if the trend continues, there is a serious risk of the entire hospital system collapsing.
He also stated that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are currently experiencing severe mental and physical strain while caring for the growing number of patients.
Dr. Kannangara further noted that the highly stressful environment within hospitals could contribute to an increase in dengue-related deaths in the future.
Commenting further on the situation, Dr. Kapila Kannangara said:
“Under normal circumstances, when there is no outbreak risk, the number of dengue patients reported daily is usually between 150 and 200. However, after the current risk situation emerged, the average daily number of reported patients increased to around 600 to 650. Looking at yesterday’s figures, the number has exceeded 1,000. The number of patients is still increasing, and therefore we must take immediate steps to reduce it.
“This situation will ultimately have a serious impact on our hospital system. If hospital capacity is exceeded and facilities become insufficient to manage the increasing number of patients, there is a possibility that the healthcare system could collapse. At the same time, healthcare staff will be subjected to immense mental and physical pressure while treating patients.
“As a result, we may see an increase in the number of deaths in certain cases. Furthermore, hospitals are not only treating dengue patients. People continue to seek treatment for many other illnesses as well. Therefore, this situation creates a major challenge for the entire healthcare sector.”
