Sri Lanka’s hospital system may struggle to cope if the number of dengue patients continues to rise, Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has warned.Speaking at the Beruwala Regional Coordination Committee meeting, he said public support is essential to control the spread of dengue and reduce the number of infections.

He urged people to keep their homes, government institutions and public places clean to prevent mosquito breeding, saying this is the most effective short-term measure to control the disease.The Minister warned that a sharp increase in dengue cases could place heavy pressure on hospitals and affect patient care.”No matter what we do in the long term, the only short-term solution to controlling the increase in dengue patients is to destroy mosquito breeding grounds. All we have to do is keep our surroundings clean,” he said.He added that if dengue cases continue to increase, the hospital system may not be able to cope with the growing number of patients. However, he stressed that the situation can still be brought under control if everyone takes responsibility to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.