Panic has set among Sri Lankans of a possible Swine Flu (H1N1) outbreak in the country, amidst unconfirmed reports that a large number of Swine Flu affected Maldivians had arrived in Colombo for treatment.
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An SMS alert making the rounds claimed that over 200 Maldivians with the swine flu had arrived in the country unmonitored and had checked themselves in to Lanka Hospital for treatment, however Group Chief Executive Officer of Lanka Hospitals Dr. Prasad Medawatte issued a statement rejecting the reports which were circulating in social media that Maldivian patients diagnosed with swine flu were admitted to Lanka Hospitals and had died. “Lanka Hospitals wishes to announce that only 12 Maldivian patients have been admitted currently at Lanka Hospitals, out of which 10 are surgical and 2 are medical patients; none with swine flu,” he said on Friday.
However, an OPD patient who had made an appointment to channel a doctor at the hospital said that he had decided to skip his appointment because despite the assurance from the hospital, he did not want to take the risk. “The truth is Lanka Hospital has a lot of Maldivian patients and there can be a possibility that there are even one or two patients with the flu, so I don’t want to take the unnecessary risk,” he said.
He also pointed out that a large number of Maldivians travel to Sri Lanka very regularly for medical and education purposes, and although Maldives reported about the virus outbreak early this week, the Sri Lankan airport did not have any mechanism over the past week to screen anyone coming into the country from Maldives. “So there can be a possibility of Maldivians with the virus who may have travelled to Sri Lanka,” he noted
Meanwhile, SriLankan airlines on Friday announced that it had activated the Communicable Disease Procedures on its flights that are operating in and out of Male. “Accordingly the crew will be wearing face masks and will provide a face mask to any passenger who requests one to wear during a flight,” the airline said.
By Saturday morning, Maldivian authorities said that the H1N1 had infected a total of 114, even though there was a drop in the number of people visiting hospitals in Maldives. Maldivian authorities were compelled to shut down schools and the state university in the Male Capital during the week due to the outbreak.
Spring Koha / March 19, 2017
What an ironic twist of fate!
A country that is nominally 100% Islamic struck down by Swine Fever.
God does indeed work in mysterious ways.
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Don Stanley / March 20, 2017
Swine flu panic is an invention of big Pharmaceutical Companies to sell their flu vaccines – as their expiry date is almost out..
Please do not fall for this story!
CT Editors please do not spread such stories!
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Kapila / March 22, 2017
Right on don! Swine flu is Fake News – to sell products..
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Anonymous / March 20, 2017
Anyone tracking the origin of these messages!?
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Pygmalion / March 19, 2017
The Maldives will go under the Sea in a couple of years time.The well-to-do are already leaving with some of them even coming over to Srilanka.
The irony is that the Maldives were first inhabited by Ceylonese many many years ago.
I agree with Spring Koha that God does indeed work in mysterious ways!
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Sinhala_Man / March 20, 2017
Here one must say “Sinhalese”, not “Ceylonese”.
The Dhivehi language is remarkably close to Sinhalese, although the script has been Arabised etc. I won’t attempt a linguistics comparison here. It requires serious study. Prof. Vinnie Vitharna, for example, has done it.
“Anni”, alias Mohamed Nasheed, was one guy who didn’t have crazy Islamic notions. As soon as he was deposed they went in to the National Museum and smashed ancient Buddha statues. 800 years ago they were a 100% Buddhist country, and 50 years ago (when my close association with Maldivians began) they were a very tolerant society.
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Fathima Fukushima / March 19, 2017
Swine flu?
This is the first time swine flu struck a Muslim nation.
Will the extremist Gandasara and crowd use this to deport Maldivians from SL?
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AJ / March 20, 2017
The BBS terrorists may even blame halal food for swine flu. Hatred and ignorance at its height – all in the name of Buddha
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Ni / March 19, 2017
Sri Lankans always talk about Maldives going down under the sea. This has been talking since 1990s. Few years it will come down . what happens 2004 boxing day? How many Sri Lankan died and how many maldivians died? Read the information from online. I have not gone to colombo for 10years, I m going other places like south east Asia or China. You can deport or stop issuing Visa for maldivians. If one door is close, other will open. For your kind information we are not Ceylonese, We are maldivians always. You guys are funny with old talk. Always some thing to talk going down under. Hehehehe.
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Spring Koha / March 21, 2017
Ni
You have written that ‘Sri Lankans always talk about Maldives going down under the sea’
The truth is that Sri Lanka has been going down the drain for years, yet we act as if WE ‘smell of roses’.
Funny old world!
BTW…I love the Maldive Fish we Sri Lankans love in our sambols.
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ranjith(sprrw) / March 19, 2017
If Maldivians practice is to seek medical assistance from lanken hospitals. we have to assist them. yes precautionary actions should be taken in order to prevent it spreading. that is separate issue.but when in need we have to support them.that is humanity. I do not think any Sri lankan go against it. as maldive is a famous tourist destination hoteliers must be importing pork from all over the world. Locals must be addicted to it by now though they are muslims. that may be the loof-hole. even so called god or gods may be enjoying pork in their gardens as well by now.. that is the nature. nobody can prevent it.
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Lankan No 1 / March 19, 2017
In time of emergency SL can should extend its hands to any country in the world..we should set example in humanitarian works…but we should not take any risk to public health by doing so..we should take all.measurements to check if it is true….treat them with extra care ..
We can not ignore them at all.
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eldorado / March 20, 2017
I agree, we should extend a helping hand, but at the same time extreme precautions must be taken to
ensure that the local population is not exposed to this infection as it is critically dangerous, and if allowed to infect any local resident then there will be a widespread epidemic which our Authorities will never be able to control,
given their history in such disease control.
The Maldivians have also a roll to play; they are obliged to divulge any infection ridden person to Sri Lankan
Authorities on arrival or any such suspected case, so that adequate precaution can be taken to ensure against
spreading the infection. Failure to do so may result in the spreading of the virus amongst the local population and
resulting chaos.
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srinath gunaratne / March 20, 2017
We will have to quarantine the parliament!
Swine fever!
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Spring Koha / March 21, 2017
Who let the pigs out!!!!!
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