Dengue risk back in Fair Park - Star Metro Perak

21 Nov 2017

                                                 An illegal dumpsite in the Fair Park neighbourhood.

A SPATE of dengue cases hit Fair Park in Ipoh between late September and early October, with 15 residents contracting the illness.

On Nov 4, the neighbourhood’s status as a dengue hotspot was removed by the state Health Department.

However, undergrowth, especially those along drains, and uncollected garbage remain a nuisance.

A check by MetroPerak showed that undergrowth has clogged up the drain along Jalan Chang Yin Fatt, while rubbish bags were strewn at back alleys and road sides.

“Contractors used to cut the grass once every two weeks but I hardly see them lately.

“Another problem is that the contractors only cut the grass but did not remove them,” Chan said, adding that she and her husband have been living in Fair Park for about 45 years.

“When I asked them, they told me that the cleaning of the drains is the Ipoh City Council’s responsibility, not theirs,” she added.

Chan’s husband came down with dengue in the middle of October.

“He was the last resident from here to be diagnosed with dengue.

“It was fortunate that he did not have to be admitted but I had to take him to the hospital and health clinics for blood checks regularly,” she said, adding that her husband has since recovered.

“Since then, I’ve been spraying insect repellent, using mosquito repellent patches and coils in the whole house to repel the pests,” she added.

Another resident, who declined to be named, said fogging exercises were held every two weeks in October.

Undergrowth in and around the drains in Fair Park have not been cut in a while.

“Fogging is done after each report of a dengue case here.

“Last month, the fogging activities were quite frequent,” he said.

The resident also said he hoped the state health department would send its officers to conduct more random checks at housing areas, including those likely to become hotspots.

“Some drains will be clogged up, the undergrowth not cut and illegal dumpsites not cleared away,” he said.

“You can blame it on some of the residents that are not being civic-minded.

“Those who are responsible to clear the drains and undergrowth should also be blamed,” he added.

The resident also said that this was not the first time the neighbourhood was declared a dengue hotspot.

“About two or three years ago, one resident died from complications due to the illness,” he said.

Housewife Sharon Wong, 50, said her daughter, husband and her all came down with dengue early last month.

“We made complaints to the city council to cut the grass and clear the clogged drains but nothing was done.

“The drains were only cleaned and undergrowth cut about two to three weeks ago, after I made another complaint,” she said.

Wong said she was also told by a city council staff that mosquitoes would not breed on dirty water caused by clogged drains.

“But that does not mean that the drains should be left as it is,” she said.

Perak Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said there were six dengue hotspots identified in the state, including Fair Park, between Oct 29 and Nov 4.

“All are no longer hotspots. The others included SMK Anderson with five cases, Kampung Datuk Ahmad Said Tambahan 2 (five), First Garden (two) and Kampung Sungai Rokam (two) in Ipoh.

“In Muallim, there were four cases in Taman Intan Setia,” he said.

Dr Mah also said that as of Nov 4 this year, there was a 57% increase in dengue cases compared to the corresponding period last year.

“The number of dengue cases now stands at 5,055, an increase by 1,837 cases, compared to 3,218 last year.

“There were also 11 deaths, compared to 10 in 2016,” he said.

Dr Mah said Kinta remained the district with the highest number of dengue cases with 2,997 recorded, with five deaths.

“This is a 75.5% increase from last year, whereby we recorded 1,708 cases,” he said, adding that other notable districts with an increase in dengue cases included Larut, Matang and Selama (535 cases with two deaths), Kuala Kangsar (281 cases and two deaths) and Kampar (248 cases and one death),” he added.

Other districts included Batang Padang (230 cases), Hulu Perak (157), Perak Tengah (80) and Muallim (81).

Dr Mah said districts with lower dengue incidence were Manjung, which saw a 39.6% drop of cases from 361 to 218, Hilir Perak (162 to 152) and Kerian (111 to 76).

“There was, however, one death in Kerian,” he said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2017/11/21/dengue-risk-back-in-fair-park-neighbourhood-taken-off-hotspot-list-but-cleanliness-not-well-maintain/

Dengue Campaign at Taman Bercham Raya - 17 Jan 2015

This morning 17 Jan 2015 starting at 8am, Ipoh City Watch (ICW) and the Perak State Department of Health have teamed up again to conduct the campaign to fight dengue at Taman Bercham Raya which is another hotspot area identified.

We were divided into three groups with each group taking charge of different areas to go house to house to explain to the residents about dengue and how to take preventive actions. For ICW we are also taking the opportunity to do a walkabout to understand issues related to garbage and refuse collection.

It was very fulfilling day for all of us as we are able to get the cooperation of the residents to help discard their garbage in a proper way. We have also taken pictures of areas that need improvement and forward it to Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh for their follow up actions. We hope our little contribution can help make Ipoh the most livable city in Malaysia.

The following photos were also taken from our walkabout which needs the attention of Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh:

Perak state records 22 dengue-related deaths last year and will continue to combat menace - The Star

Jan 12 2015 - BY IVAN LOH

Inundated: Affected folk salvaging their belongings after their shop was hit by floods recently.

THERE were 22 dengue-related deaths in 2014, and the state will continue to combat the menace this year.

Perak Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said 2014 was a bad year, with the dengue outbreak as the cumulative dengue cases reached 7,525 last year, compared to 2,519 cases in 2013.

“There was an increase of 5,006 cases, about three times the total number of cases in 2013.

“However, there was a drop in cases in the final week of 2014 and we are working very hard to control the situation,” he said.

“We hope the trend would be that the drop continues this year,” he said during a press conference at the state secretariat building recently.

Dr Mah stressed that it was difficult to control dengue as the Aedes mosquitoes larvae was resilient.

“The larvae survive in drought or dry season for up to six months.

“As soon as larvae come into contact with water, they can hatch and grow,” he said, adding that the recent floods that hit the state has also compounded the matter.

“The life cycle of mosquitoes can also change during the dry season and they reproduce swiftly,” he added.

On another matter, Dr Mah said the state has managed to control and prevent any infectious diseases from spreading at flood-hit areas in the state.

He said personnel from the state Health Department and the Health Ministry had carried out various measures to prevent any outbreaks.

“We have checked all flood relief centres to ensure that they are clean and clear of harmful microorganisms.

“We in Perak are also considered lucky as we do not have any issues with clean water supply,” he said.

“We are, however, urging the public, especially those who are currently busy with cleaning works, to ensure cleanliness and personal hygiene,” he added.

He noted that among the diseases common during floods were cholera, E. coli, leptospirosis, acute gastroenteritis (AGE), conjunctivitis, skin infection and Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD).

“The people need to be aware of these diseases and ensure they drink boiled water and eat properly cooked food,” he said, adding that there are still 5,545 victims at 32 flood relief centres in five districts, including Hulu Perak, Hilir Perak, Manjung, Perak Tengah and Kuala Kangsar.

Dr Mah also said that aside from taking the necessary action against infectious diseases, the state has also taken proactive measures to counter psychological problems that may arise.

“Up to 20% of victims may at some point face psychological problems.

“It is understood that the victims are under stress and they could get easily irritated or agitated and could also suffer from insomnia,” he said.

“We have mobilised our panel of psychiatrists and psychologists to the flood-stricken areas to conduct counselling sessions at the flood relief centres,” he added.

Walkabout at Taman Harmoni, Buntong, Ipoh on 27 Dec 2014 7.30am

Attention Concerned Citizens of Ipoh. Ipoh City Watch is organizing a Walkabout at Taman Harmoni, Buntong, Ipoh on 27 Dec 2014 at 7.30am in collaboration with Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Perak. All are invited to attend. The objective of this session is to engage, educate and evaluate several issues pertaining to the cleanliness, services rendered by MBI and to educate on dengue prevention. Please contact Org. Chairman Mr. Pandian Sarangabanly for details. 

War of banners to lure customers and boost year-end sales - The Star

20 Dec 2014 BY FOONG PEK YEE

Yes, banners have been a topic of conversation of late.

My sister commented that it looks like general election campaigning!

The latest addition are those on “Wabak Dengi” (dengue epidemic).

My 11-year-old nephew has been keeping a watch out for the dengue banners in the housing area where he stays with his parents.

He will update me on the new dengue banners and also those that had been taken down.

His awareness on dengue could be traced to the talk of dengue in the Ipoh neighbourhood.

Health department officers have been helpful; updating the residents on the dengue cases in the area when they conduct checks for Aedes mosquito breeding grounds.

Some of the officers have been kind enough to conduct fogging inside houses upon request.

People are simply being swarmed by mosquitoes.

My friend from Mansion Park in Ipoh told me on Wednesday that her area was a dengue hot spot.

“I get a lot of mosquitoe bites when I dry my laundry,” she said.

The people are feeling helpless.

Earlier this month, I pointed out to a health department officer about the clogged drains, abandoned houses and rubbish strewn areas in Taman Rasa Sayang in Ipoh.

He nodded and said: “This comes under the Ipoh City Council (MBI).”

The officer was supervising fogging in the area which has been declared a dengue epidemic area.

The proper upkeeping of public areas, including cleaning up abandoned houses come under the local authorities.

This is the first line of defence.

The Perak Health Department should know that banners to warn the people that they are in dengue epidemic areas is just not enough.

And asking the people to participate in gotong royong activities to clean up public areas is an irony.

While it is not exactly a waste of public funds to put up the dengue epidemic banners, I must say there are several longstanding problems that the health department and local authorities need to resolve together.

The incidence of litterbugs is definitely on the rise, judging from the rubbish strewn surroundings.

It goes to show the general public’s mentality — no civic consciousness at all and extremely irresponsible.

As such, there is no point in Health committee executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon lamenting on the low turnout of residents for gotong royongs held to clean up the surroundings.

He should have anticipated this outcome.

Perhaps, it may be better for him to get the cooperation of the local authorities to go after the litterbugs.

If a fine is not a deterrent, take them to court and punish them with community service, for instance, to show the people that littering is a serious offence.

At the same time, the local authorities must also set a good example — do a good job in upkeeping public areas.

The big spike in dengue cases this year and related deaths is a wake up call to all — dengue kills.

More Ipoh residents taking part in gotong-royong exercises - The Star

IPOH folk are becoming more aware of their responsibility in combating Aedes mosquitoes and the dengue war, as shown in the higher participation in gotong-royongexercises.

Ipoh City Council secretary Mohd Zakuan Zakaria said the number of people taking part in gotong-royong exercises conducted by the council had increased over time.

“We have organised gotong-royong in 16 zones to date and there has been an improvement.

“These days, we are seeing 200 to 300 people taking part at each zone,” he told reporters after the council’s full board meeting recently.

Datuk Bandar Datuk Harun Rawi said unlike previously, the council had reduced the number of its workers at such programmes.

“We are making councillors responsible for organising and getting people to take part.

“This is part of an effort to let the community know that they have to be responsible for the cleanliness around them.

“We hope to change their mindset towards cleanliness, that cleanliness is not the sole responsibility of the council,” said Harun.

Noting that illegal dumpsites and rubbish piles were also main contributors of dengue, Harun said the council would come up with a schedule to collect garden refuse.

The schedule, he said, would be uploaded on the council’s website soon.

“Starting this year, we have also appointed additional contractors to clean drains on anad hoc basis at places where there are many complaints,” he added.

Earlier in his speech, Harun said the council had identified 41,199 abandoned lots, which were potentially contributing to the current dengue outbreak in the city.

The lots, located within 630 housing estates and 144 villages, were in dire need of maintenance and rid of overgrown bushes, he said.

“The council has created 7,646 files in relation to the matter and up until Aug 31, a total of 2,008 notices have been served.

“To date, 1,234 owners have heeded our directive to clean up their premises.

“Unfortunately, there were 490 others who failed to adhere to the notices,” he said.

Harun added that the council had appointed its contractors to clear up another 284 lots.

“The owner of the lots, which have been cleared by our contractors, will be billed a 15% service charge in their assessment,” he said.

Harun also called on the public to alert the council should they know of any abandoned lots so that it could take immediate action to break the Aedes breeding cycle.

Dengue Prevention Campaign at Puncak Jelapang Maju 14 Dec 2014

This morning our team members from Ipoh City Watch (ICW) participated in a dengue prevention campaign together with the Health Ministry Dept of Perak. We focused on the 500 houses in Puncak Jelapang Maju starting from 7.30am going from house to house to personally counselled residents. 

The group comprised of Matron Foong, Pandian Sarangabanly,Tina Leong, Mdm Jeya, Rajan, Thinakaran Sarangabanly, Hanip, Sundra Lingam, Giri, and Hairul was divided into two. By 10.45am we have managed to covered the 500 houses.

 Apart from giving counseling we also did observation and took note on the clealiness as well as potential breeding ground for aedes mosquitoes. We managed to speak to the 4 familiy members of who have undergone treatment for dengue. It was a very fulfilling experience for all of us. 

Next week we will participate in a gotong royong in KRT Jelapang and the followinhgg week we are going to visit Taman Harmony in Buntong to carry out similar campaign while on our Walk About activity. Thanks to all our ICW members for their participation.

Mosquito Breeders Be Warned - Ipoh Echo

Those who do not keep their compounds clean may be fined up to RM50,000 or two years imprisonment or both as it could be a breeding ground for Aedes.

Executive Councillor for Health Dato’ Mah Hang Soon believed that this was a reasonable punishment in view of the rising cases of dengue in the state. According to him all parties have to work together to maintain the cleanliness of the areas around their residences, besides their own compounds.

“Health Minister Datuk Seri S.Subramaniam and I feel that this fine is not unreasonable in an effort to educate the public. Therefore, we’d like to encourage people to take the initiative to manage and keep their area clean, especially those which have been breeding grounds for mosquitoes all this while.”

Mah said this while making an inspection to Lorong Pari in Lim Garden recently, together with officers from the Perak State Health Department. Present was the department’s director, Dato’ Dr Nordiyanah Hassan. Mah hoped that property owners would clean up their respective areas, and also surrounding vacant lands. He reiterated that those who do not may be slapped with a heavy punishment according to the law.

“We hope they’ll bear this in mind. Land that is left uncared for will encourage others to turn it into an illegal rubbish dumping site. Besides dirtying the place, it will be a breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes,” said Mah.

Living in constant fear from the stench from boiling tyres is still in the air in Bandar Seri Botani, Ipoh.- The Star

This should not be the case as the Perak government had suspended such activities in the state for more than a month.

Stench aside, the biggest worry is that the pollutants can cause cancer.

The suspension, announced by Perak executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, came after the residents’ plight made headlines in October.

According to some residents, the stench can be smelt late at night or in the wee hours of the morning these days.

The dengue situation in Perak is very alarming.

As of Week 46, there were a total of 5,049 dengue cases in the state, and 14 deaths, against 1,816 cases and two deaths within the same period last year.

Dr Mah has pointed out the breeding places for Aedes mosquitoes, and the question is what are the actions to be taken by the local councils to clear these places.

According to him, the Ipoh city council for instance would hire additional lorries to clear the city’s 1,263 illegal dumpsites.

While it is better to be late than never, I wonder what is the reason for not clearing the dumpsites earlier.

Do we need to have a serious dengue outbreak for the council to sit up?

What is the council’s priority in the first place?

The people, as rate payers have the right to ask such questions.

Dr Mah even gave a phone number (05-2540096) for the public to call to report the location of illegal dumpsites.

Perhaps Dr Mah can also set a time frame for the council to clear any dumpsite reported by the public.

There have been complaints that the council do not act on public complaints promptly.

Anyway, illegal dumpsites are plenty in Ipoh and the council should not have any problem locating them.

MetroPerak had highlighted many of such sites and clogged drains as well.

I must put on record that the council had looked into some of the cases.

But there is a need to get to the bottom of the problem of dirty surroundings.

While the authorities can blame the people for littering, it is also their (authorities) job to go after the litterbugs as well or find ways to prevent littering.

Details: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/12/06/Living-in-constant-fear-Finding-a-solution-to-the-tyre-boiling-episode-in-residential-areas/

Make fighting the dengue menace a priority as it involves lives, Dr Zambry says - The Star

THE Ipoh City Council has received flak from the Perak Mentri Besar over the number of illegal dumpsites found in the city centre.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the city council should not give any excuses and must clear the dumpsites that were said to be a contributing factor to the high number of dengue cases in Ipoh.

Dr Zambry was also fuming over the fact that due to dengue, the number of deaths had risen to 17.

“Though we are not the highest when compared to other states, it is not an excuse not to do anything about it.

“Dengue is a serious matter as it involves lives,” he said after chairing the state executive council meeting on Wednesday.

“The city council and all the other local councils must take action to ensure that dengue cases are minimised or eradicated,” he said.

It has been reported that about 1,263 dumpsites were found scattered throughout the city, allowing Aedes mosquitoes to breed.

Dr Zambry stressed that the city council should not use the lack of allocations as its excuse.

“If they don’t have the resources, come to the state government. They must know how to prioritise matters and take immediate action as it involves lives,” he said.

“People are dying. They cannot say no budget,” he added.

Dr Zambry said the state was also looking into the possibility of introducing the usage of polystyrene foam pellets to cover septic tanks at residential areas.

“This is one method that we are looking at that can stop mosquitoes from breeding, apart from having cleaning activities.

“This will be useful in areas that are prone to having dengue cases,” he said.

Dengue on the rise in five states - Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Five states recorded an increase in the number of dengue cases in the week ending Aug 15 compared to the previous week, although the total number of cases recorded nationwide dropped by two to 583 for the week, Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said today.

Terengganu had 22 cases compared to 10 previously, Perlis had one case versus none before, Sarawak had 53 cases against 31 cases prior, Perak had 52 cases but 35 last week, and Kedah had 11 cases compared to nine, he said in a statement.

Mohd Ismail said 67 deaths were recorded this year up to Aug 15, with the number of cumulative cases at 28,710 compared with 64 deaths and 27,900 cumulative cases during the corresponding period last year.

He also said that 18 cases of Chikungunya were reported nationwide in the week ending Aug 15, a drop of nine cases compared to the previous week. However, three states — Perlis, Perak and Kelantan — registered a rise in the number of cases last week, he added. — BERNAMA

Perak construction sites found to be Aedes breeding grounds - Star

April 30, 2009 By SYLVIA LOOI

IPOH: Nearly 25% of all construction sites inspected in Perak have been found to be Aedes mosquito breeding grounds.

State Health, Local Government, Consumer Affairs, Environment, Public Transportation and Non-Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the Health Department had carried out checks on 104 sites in the state as of April 25.

Twenty-four sites were found to be breeding Aedes larvae, he said Thursday after conducting a spot check at a construction site at Taman Botani here.

Dr Mah said that to date, six compounds and 18 notices have been issued to the developers concerned.

“I urge contractors to check their sites daily and to destroy any breeding grounds,” he added.

He warned that owners of sites found to be breeding Aedes mosquitoes could be fined RM10,000 or jailed not more than two years, or both.

Dr Mah said that up to April 25, 1,352 dengue cases have been reported in the state this year.

Compared with the same period last year, there has been an increase of 51 cases and one death, he said.

Up till the same date, 189,395 premises have been inspected with 1,218 of them found to be Aedes mosquito breeding sites.

A total of RM98,350 worth of compounds were collected from the 604 issued, he added.