As directed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a twelve member Sri Lanka medical expert Team arrived at Lahore Airport on Wednesday, 14, to contribute their expertise to eradicate the ongoing dengue fever situation, mainly in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

The delegation was received by the Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif at Lahore Airport.

Sri Lanka High Commission in Islamabad in a press release said that Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif thanked the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa for sending the Sri Lankan Expert Team to eradicate the wide spread ongoing dengue fever in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

The team leader of Sri Lanka expert team Dr. Hasitha Tissera symbolically handed over a package of medicines and other necessary items to the Chief Minister at the Lahore Airport, for the eradication of the dengue virus, which he has brought from Sri Lanka with his team.

The Sri Lankan expert team is scheduled to share their knowledge and expertise with Pakistan medical officers, nurses and grass root level social leaders during their stay in Pakistan. The Sri Lanka team is the first foreign medical team to arrive on request made by the Government of Pakistan to the international community.

So far, over 9,000 dengue cases have been reported in Lahore, the provincial metropolitan city, and 9 people have died of the dengue virus.