{"id":160636,"date":"2016-04-12T00:01:24","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T18:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=160636"},"modified":"2016-04-12T22:50:59","modified_gmt":"2016-04-12T17:20:59","slug":"gmoa-spreads-india-phobia-in-sri-lanka-with-malaria-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/gmoa-spreads-india-phobia-in-sri-lanka-with-malaria-story\/","title":{"rendered":"GMOA Spreads India Phobia In Sri Lanka With Malaria Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA<\/span><\/a>) yesterday issued a warning to Sri Lankans, requesting them to be vigilant and take precautions in the event Indian nationals were living around the area, as there was a possibility that the Indians were carrying the malaria virus.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.<\/a>

Dr. Nalinda Herath<\/p><\/div>\n

The warning came after an Indian was diagnosed with malaria recently.<\/p>\n

According to GMOA secretary Dr. Nalinda Herath, even though Sri Lanka was malaria free, India was one of the worst countries with the virus, and due to the large number of Indians in Sri Lanka, the country was at risk in contracting this disease.<\/p>\n

According to Herath, the Indian who was detected with malaria, has been working in Sri Lanka on an expired visa, which risked the country further at contracting this disease once again as it was likely that there were more Indians who might be carrying malaria, and there was no way of knowing their medical status<\/p>\n

The GMOA which has also been campaigning against the proposed Indo-Lanka Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA<\/span><\/a>), noted that if the situation was such even before the government signed the agreement with India, the situation can worsen if the agreement is signed with many Indians coming and working in Sri Lanka. \u201cThis situation can also lead to a deterioration of health in Sri Lanka,\u201d Herath warned.<\/p>\n