Oct 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has complained that certain state institutions are neglecting the appeal made to support the dengue control programme.

According to the Minister, only about 50 percent of state institutions have set up Health Committees as directed by the dengue control programme.

Addressing a workshop today to educate state officials on the establishment of Health Committee in state institutions, the Minister has said that the Secretary to the President at the request of the President had issued a special circular on the establishment of Health Committees in state institutions.

However, only12 Ministries had so far complied with the President's directive, the Minister has revealed.

Statistics released by the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reported that during the last 10 months of this year, 34495 suspected dengue cases have been reported to the Unit from all over the island. About 48 percent of the cases have been reported from the Western Province.