No flood related epidemic in Lanka, says health official

A senior official of the Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health has assured that there are no epidemics in the country weeks after the floods and landslides ravaged the island leaving over 400,000 people affected.

Dr. Palitha Mahipala, Director General of Health Services confirmed that the flood affected areas are free from epidemics, reports Colombo Page.

Mahipala said that as of May 31st, fifty-nine medical teams comprising doctors, nurses and dispensers were working in makeshift camps in the flood affected areas to provide the health care for the displaced people.

He added that a decision has been taken to keep all the Out Patient Departments (OPD) in government hospitals in the severely affected districts of Colombo, Gampaha, and Kegalle open until 8.00 p.m. during the relief period.

Mahipala, however, warned of the high possibility for the rat fever in those flood affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry's Epidemiology Unit has advised the people to drink boiled or bottled water, eat fully cooked foods and refrain from eating raw vegetables and greens.

The unit also cautioned chances are high for mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue to spread as the flood waters recede.