Cleaning up to fight Aedes
ZERO AEDES: Volunteers including medical staff spruce up the surrounding areas of the Klinik Kesihatan Shah Alam Health Clinic and staff quarters
KUALA LUMPUR: A GROUP of doctors, nurses and medical staff of Shah Alam Health Clinic in Section 7 as well as volunteers of the Shah Alam Municipal Council and non-governmental groups attended a gotong-royong event recently to combat the deadly dengue menace.
The event, dubbed “Zero Aedes”, was held to reduce the recent rise of dengue cases in the country.
Dr Ruziaton Hasim, family medicine specialist and head of the clinic, told Streets that there was a 300 per cent rise in dengue-related cases this year compared with the same period last year.
From Jan 1 to Feb 22 this year, over 16,383 dengue cases were reported throughout the country.
During the same period last year, only 3,937 dengue cases were reported, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Selangor State Health Department, she said.
“People from all walks of life come to our clinic to seek treatment and we want to make sure that our premises are clean and that there are no breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes here.
“The gotong-royong event was held to clean up the surrounding areas of the clinic and staff quarters nearby.
“We want to make sure that there is no outbreak of dengue here which may affect the safety of patients at our clinic,” she said.
“We also wish to set a good example to other neighbourhoods so that they will take part in more gotong-royong activities to stop the dengue menace,” she said.
Two dengue cases had been reported in Section 7 of Shah Alam from March 1 to 7, while for the whole of Shah Alam, a total of 58 dengue cases were reported during the same period, said family medicine specialist Dr Nor Faizah Ghazali.
“From Jan 1 to Feb 22 this year, total dengue deaths recorded were 29 cases, compared to eight deaths in the same period of last year, a 263 per cent increase.”
About 200 participants took part in the gotong-royong.
They were divided into 10 groups with each group given a different task.
Among the areas cleaned up were the public parking area, the front of the clinic, the garage of the clinic, staff parking area, all four blocks where medical staff live, the playground and nearby drains.
The Shah Alam Municipal Council provided tools for the gotong-royong activity.
Volunteers from Rela, Syarikat Gadang and others also participated in the activity.
Staff of Shah Alam health clinic in Seksyen 7 and other volunteers doing their part in the gotong-royong campaign which was dubbed Zero Aedes. Pic by Muhd Asyraf Sawal
