SEMPORNA: Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Haji Apdal has called on the community to take preventive steps in the fight to eradicate dengue and not wait for dengue programs to be organiSed in their areas before taking any action.
“Where there is rubbish, empty cans, whenever it rains, mosquitoes will breed and multiply,” he told Taman Semporna Centre residents during the ‘Gerak Gempur Perangi Denggi Program’ held at the park area yesterday.
It was organized by the Semporna health clinic advisory panel together with Umno Semporna health bureau.
Shafie said it is worrying that the statistics of dengue cases for the Taman Semporna Centre have risen 300 per cent. Such being the case, the 1,500 residents there must take immediate action to clean their area of mosquito-breeding ground.
“There are 390 houses here with various communities and 99 per cent are locals and this program should be a starting point to work together and keep your area clean and destroy the mosquitoes breeding areas,” he said.
He added through such program, the residents must learn to know how aedes mosquitoes breed.
“I hope all residential areas in Semporna, including villages and those living on the islands, will not wait for program to be held in their area before taking any actions,” he said.
During the program, Shafie approved a RM300,000 allocation to build the residential hall next year.
Meanwhile, Semporna health officer Dr Jhenefer John disclosed that there were 30 cases of dengue recorded in 2013 in the district compared to 80 cases for the same period this year.
She said the program had proven its effectiveness as Kampung Damai, which recorded the highest number of dengue cases, had not recorded any more case after a similar program was initiated.