Dengue scare: MoH rebuffs messages against visiting Muscat
Social media has been abuzz with messages warning people from the interiors of Oman against visiting the capital after reports of dengue cases. However, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has rubbished these messages as baseless.
Some social media discussions also centered on skipping Muscat Festival for a few days in the wake of dengue spread.
A senior official at the Ministry of Health said, “People must seek information only from official sources. Citizens and residents can communicate with the Ministry of Health’s Contact Centre (24441999) and the Muscat Municipality's Contact Centre (1111) for any queries.”
Meanwhile, MoH launched a major two-week campaign to combat the spread of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The campaign that started on January 8 will continue till January 21.
Dr Huda Khalfan al Sayabi, head of social mobilisation team of the campaign, said, “The first dengue case was registered on December 12, 2018. Our teams
have found breeding sites of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in North and South Al Hail during field visits. We recorded 40 cases of dengue fever from December 12 to January 6.”
Explaining the campaign details, Dr Huda said, “The campaign started in the wilayat of Seeb at 8am and continued till 2pm. There are 1,000 personnel who will be divided into 200 teams. They will be in formal uniform and carry identification cards.”
The team members will visit 4,000 homes in a day. “The campaign will cover 65,000 facilities in Muscat,” she said adding that dengue may not be endemic to Oman but its spread can be checked by preventing water accumulation.”
Dr Huda added, “It is important to avoid leaving drinking water for animals and birds outside. Those who use tyres for decoration or gardening should ensure they are dry as they too can be a breeding place for insects. We call upon the public to cooperate with the Ministry of Health and the municipality in facilitating campaign officials in their work.”