Staff Reporter:
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain yesterday said the government has undertaken various plans to free the city dwellers from the mosquito menace.
The minister made the remarks while visiting Dholpur area of the capital to inspect the effectiveness, testing and ongoing activities of mosquito control insecticides used by the Dhaka South City Corpora-tion.
The minister said the government has already started its work to provide quick relief to urban residents from mosquito suffering. “It is true that the mosquito infestation has increased alarmingly. Preventive measures should have been taken earlier to avert the risk. We assumed office afterwards and began working immediately after taking oath. It has only been seven days,” he said.
Sakhawat Hossain added that the ministry has attached highest priority to mosquito eradication efforts from the very beginning of its tenure.
He said several samples of the imported insecticides have been collected and their effectiveness will be tested at the earliest possible time. “If the medicines are found ineffective, alternative measures will be taken,” he added.
Expressing hope that the insecticides will prove effective, the minister said the mosquito control pro-gramme is being given top priority considering the sufferings of the people.
He also said highest importance is being given to tackling dengue.
Calling for public cooperation alongside government efforts, the health minister urged city residents to remain vigilant and keep their surroundings clean, particularly by removing stagnant water from residen-tial areas to prevent mosquito breeding.
