Selangor dengue outbreak

The article below is to be found on page 15, of The Star today.

However there are some additional important points that I would like to make known.

1. People must be more responsible for their homes and surroundings. Malaysians still believe that the war against the aedes mosquito is solely the responsibility of the authorities. Yes, some the fogging and enforcement is our responsibility, but the bulk of the duty is the peoples'. Especially people who live in apartments and flats, where water can collect on the side-walk, pavements etc.

2. Dengue outbreaks always happen when people come back to their homes after long holidays. [This is a confirmed fact]

I urge people to be more aware of their surroundings, make a complaint if there is a water stagnant in your neighbours house, or in the neighbourhood. (Only if clean water is stagnant)

Things to note :-
a. Make sure the corridoors of apartments and flats are Dry !! Water must not be allowed to collect after heavy rains. Make sure your building management is doing their job.

b. Make sure water is not stagnant for more than 24 hours anywhere inside your home. Especially areas like the garden, toilet and kitchen.

PLEASE MAKE THE TIME TO ENSURE YOUR OWN HOMES ARE AEDES FREE

The Star, 2nd February 2009,

SHAH ALAM: Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai has taken the Selangor Health Department to task for failing to take effective measures which led to the outbreak of 68 dengue fever cases at eight apartment blocks here over the last 100 days.

Among the 68 victims living off Jalan Plumbum in Section 7, 70% were students age 17 to 35 from the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Liow told department director Dr Rosnah Hadis and Petaling medical officer Dr Ismail Samad that effective and proactive measures should have been taken to contain the disease within the two weeks.

“With immediate effect, all measures must be taken if there are more than two cases and within two weeks, the health department and local councils must overcome the problem,” he said. Liow added that there were 48 hot spots in Selangor which are concentrated in the urban areas.

“Even friends of mine are coming down with dengue fever. Our Selangor MCA state liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Liew Yuen Keong was struck with the disease two weeks ago,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Rosnah blamed the dengue outbreak at the Section 7 apartments to the higher rainfall and public apathy that encouraged the breeding of the Aedes mosquitoes.

She added that officers from the department were not able to contain the situation as most of the breeding grounds were actually inside the apartments, especially bath tubs filled with water for weeks while the tenants returned to their home towns for holidays.

Selangor Health Committee chairman Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar called on the residents to cooperate with health officers during fogging operations.

“Residents must allow our men to fog their homes. We are using water-based chemicals for fogging, so it will not leave an oily residue.”