Materia Medica Malaysiana

Mentakab Hospital fined for breeding mosquitoes

KUANTAN: The state Health Department issued 142 compounds, among them a district hospital and a government rural clinic, after the premises were found to be aedes breeding ground.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the hospital was Mentakab Hospital while the clinic was in Temerloh.
“This goes to show that the Health Department does not show favouritism when carrying out its enforcement.
“The hospital and clinic are among 17,555 premises which have been inspected for the last three weeks,” he told reporters after meeting the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital staff here yesterday.
When asked who would pay for the compounds issued to the hospital and clinic, Chua said it would be the responsibility of those taking care of the premises’ maintenance.
Normally, a private company would conduct maintenance works and so that company would have to pay, he added.
Chua also said that out of the 17,555 premises checked, 334 were found to be aedes-breeding ground.
Pahang also registered an increase in dengue cases with 30 cases reported each week last year, said Chua.
However, the number rose to more than 60 cases a week for the past three weeks and this included a death, he added.
On the measles outbreak in Bakun, Chua said the Sarawak Health Department had put it under control.
“They have deployed 11 medical teams to the area and they have also begun to vaccinate the Penans.
“A total of 747 have been vaccinated,” he said.
On the source of the disease, Chua said it originated from an Iban returned to her husband's Penan village in Long Urun in Kapit Division.
“She was already sick at that time,” said Chua, adding, she has now recovered. Thirteen children and one adult who were infected died.