Leave for doctors suspended as flu outbreak spreads

By Gandhya Senanayake(Daily Mirror)

All unnecessary foreign leave for government doctors will be suspended till the 31st of January next year, a Health Ministry spokesman told Daily Mirror Online. The decision was reached due to the A-H1N1 flu outbreak island wide as well as the current spread of dengue fever.

He added that the assistance and expertise of all government doctors were needed at this point of time and that foreign leave for seminars, conferences and workshops have been suspended. However leave for children’s necessity and essential postgraduate study’s for the doctors will be granted, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile commenting on the current A-H1N1 flu outbreak he added that a meeting was held earlier this week and those directors of the hospitals, directors of regional and divisional institutions were educated regarding precautionary and treatment options available for the A-H1N1 flu.

Further he commented that a virus fever was spreading in some parts of the island and that many people were unnecessary testing and sending samples to the Medical Research Institute (MRI) as soon as symptoms of fever and cough were present. Only 250 out of 850 cases which were sent to the MRI were diagnosed as positive for the A-H1N1 strain during the time of June 16th till now he stated.

He also added that thirty six hospitals were equipped to treat the H1N1 flu and that to minimize unwanted testing, the recommendation of the Hospitals microbiologist or pathologist was needed from now on. Two more testing centers are also planned to be opened under the Peradeniya, Kandy teaching Hospital to assist MRI, the new units will be funded by the World Bank he said.
*******************************
Dear Friends,
We would like to know whether the foreign trips of ministry officials also will get affected by this decision.
Any way since their presence with in the country do not have got any positive impact on control of epidemics,their leave may be granted.
(Please note the picture added has got no direct connection with the topic)