Take 10 minutes a day to fight aedes mosquito, urges Mah

Star: IPOH: Ten minutes a day to clean your compound is all it takes to combat the dreaded aedes mosquito, said Perak executive councillor Dr Mah Hang Soon.
Dr Mah, who is in charge of health, said it was important for residents to commit at least 10 minutes a day to overturn flowerpots and clear out other potential breeding places in their premises.
“Ten minutes a week is not enough. It has to be every day. People spend much more time watching a movie or going to the mamak stall.
“If you don’t clean your compound every day, you tend to forget (to clean it regularly),” he told reporters after a gotong royong campaign at Kampung Kopisan Baru in Gopeng near here yesterday.
Dr Mah said dengue was a serious problem in the state, with the number of cases in Perak only second after Selangor.
Statistics showed that 86.6% of dengue cases originated from people’s homes, he said.
“As of March 21, 1,068 cases have been reported this year compared to 935 cases during the same period last year. The trend is increasing,” he added.
He also reminded that residents who wanted Abate, a chemical to kill larvae-infested water, could get it free from all government clinics.
On the gotong-royong campaign, Dr Mah said it was a collaboration among health authorities, the Fire and Rescue Department, non-governmental organisations, local village security and development committee, and the MCA.
He said the Government needed the people to help in the fight against dengue, as it could only do so much with fogging activities and education campaigns.