Ministry declares war on dengue
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With the dengue death toll already hitting 71 this year, the Public Health Ministry is fighting back to stop the spread of the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the disease.
“I have instructed all provincial public-health chiefs to closely monitor the operations to eradicate mosquito larvae at schools and hospitals,” Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong said yesterday.
As of last Tuesday, the dengue outbreak had struck 67,889 people and showed no signs of abating.
From July 3-9, new cases surged 30 per cent to 8,571 from the previous week.
Pradit will be writing to ask the permanent secretaries for education and interior for their cooperation.
“Our surveys have found that more than 10 per cent of containers with stagnant water at home and schools had mosquito larvae,” he said.
Dr Narong Sahametapat, permanent secretary for the Public Health Ministry, said the public could call 089-204 2255 round the clock for advice.
All state hospitals were instructed to set up special corners to take care of dengue victims or patients suspected of being infected with the virus.
“We have also provided guidelines for hospitals on how to respond to dengue cases and when they will need to refer patients to better-equipped medical facilities,” he said.
Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Chiang Rai and Bangkok are among the provinces with the highest incidences.
