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Sri Lanka is not among the World Heath Organization declared 74 countries with a pandemic threat
alert on H1N1. However, the health authorities in Sri Lanka have taken following measures to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus in the country.
• All passengers arriving in Bandaranaike International Airport are subject to go through thermo
scanner installed in the arrival lounge.
• A 24 hour medical desk is in operation at the Bandaranaike International Airport with ambulance facilities. Any passenger with symptoms of fever can declare his/her self at this medical desk and get a medical check on H1N1.
• Any patient found positive for H1N1 will be sent to the Infectious Decease Hospital (IDH) for further investigations. A special medical team is on alert 24 hrs to treat suspected H1N1 patients. Pathological samples of the suspected patients will be collected at the IDH
hospital and will be sent to Medical Research Institute for further investigations. A senior virologist is on standby duty to carry out investigations and to report back to IDH immediately.
• The Health Ministry has sufficient stocks of the antidote‘oseltamivir’ (Tamiflu) pills and N-95 masks which are used by the
doctors.
• All the government hospitals have been notified of H1N1 and surveillance programmes have been initiated, island wide.
• The World Heath Organization has declared a list of 74 countries with a pandemic alert on H1N1. It should be noted that WHO has not declared Sri Lanka as a country with pandemic H1N1 threat.
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