Rise in dengue cases in P. Klang
Problem due to poor garbage collection
THE sudden rise in dengue cases in Klang especially at Port Klang town has got residents here worried and they want the authorities to act swiftly to deal with the problem.
M. Vadivu from Jalan Derun, Port Klang said apart from his mother, two of his neighbours had sought treatment for dengue fever last week.
Another resident Jackson Tan said a couple of other residents who live in Leboh Berangan, Jalan Seroja and Lintang Derun were also seeking treatment for dengue-related symptoms the past few weeks.
“We are worried because apart from the late collection of garbage, the drains in this area have not been cleaned for months. The council and health department should also inspect nearby construction sites and households doing renovations as rainwater easily gets trapped in these areas thus making them good breeding ground for the aedes mosquitoes,” said Tan.
Vadivu said the situation was worrying as residents were afraid of going outdoors the past few days.
“I do not allow my children to play outside after what happened to my mother. The authorities have been fogging the place the past few weeks but I think they need to do more to improve the cleanliness and hygiene in this residential area,” he addded.
Klangmca youth chief Dr Ching Eu Boon described the rise in dengue cases in the district as “worrying”.
He said there had been more than 70 dengue cases recorded at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital last month, adding that this was due to the local council not doing a good job in collecting garbage regularly.
“Mpk (klang Municipal Council) had not been collecting rubbish at certain areas in Port Klang, Pandamaran, Taman bayu perdana and Taman Chi Liung regularly.
“When garbage is left to pile, it becomes an easy breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes.
Dr Ching said the situation was so bad in certain areas in Klang that Barisan Nasional leaders had to fork out their own money to clean up the places.
“But there is only so much we can do. The state government has a big budget to ensure cleaning work is implemented. If they cannot spend a little for the people, I wonder what they are doing with the money,” Dr Ching added.
Selangor executive councillor, in charge of health, Dr Xavier Jayakumar said authorities had identified several hotspots in the state as potential area Aedes breeding grounds.
“These areas are usually abandoned projects and construction sites,” he said, adding that there were more than 140 abandoned projects in Selangor.
Dr Xavier said authorities were constantly conducting fogging and other cleaning works in housing areas to eradicate the Aedes mosquito.
Calling the rise in dengue cases in the state as “common”, he said: “It is a cyclic rise. Last year, during this period, the state recorded a very little amount of dengue cases compared to the same period this year.
“Dengue cases are soaring during this time of the year because of the heavy rain. We have taken measures to curb this problem,”