Selangor and KL worst-hit with over 6,000 cases

The aedes mosquito

KUALA LUMPUR: Selected government clinics across Malaysia, especially in the Klang Valley, will open from 8am to 11pm very soon to cope with the surge in dengue cases, said the Health Ministry yesterday.

Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are currently the worst-hit areas in Malaysia, with over 6,000 dengue cases barely two months into the new year.

“Altogether, there will be 21 clinics running until 11pm in the Klang Valley, with 16 in Selangor and the rest in Kuala Lumpur,” said Health Minister Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam yesterday. The last patient registration will be at 10pm every day, including public holidays and weekends, and this will be in place until the outbreak is over.

“Seeking initial treatment at clinics instead of the Emergency and Trauma unit at hospitals will help to avoid congestion in hospitals,” he said at the launch of the Federal Territory Religious Council (MAIWP) and Hospital Selayang’s new cataract surgery centre.

The clinics in Klang Valley are Klinik Kesihatan (KK) Anika, Pandamaran, Selayang, Sungai Buloh, Puchong, Shah Alam Sek 7, Kajang, Bandar Baru Bangi, Medan Maju Jaya, Ampang, Putrajaya, Jinjang, Kg Pandan, Petaling Bahagia, Setapak, Cheras, Bukit Kuda, Dengkil, Bandar Botanik, Batu Arang and Seksyen 19 Shah Alam.

Other states will see a total of 51 clinics open until 11pm, including those at Seberang Jaya (Penang), Alor Setar (Kedah), Sungai Petani (Kedah), Taiping (Perak), Merlimau (Malacca), Seremban (Negri Sembilan), Batu Pahat (Johor), Kuantan (Pahang), Bandar Baru Pasir Mas (Kelantan), Miri (Sarawak) and Sandakan (Sabah).

There have been 19 deaths from dengue this year, compared to six in the same period last year – an increase of over 200%.

Selangor alone has seen 5,410 cases this year.

The Star reported last month that dengue cases were increasing to the extent that even many private hospitals could not cope with the demand for beds. Government hospitals coped by temporarily placing patients in the emergency department until beds became available.

Related stories:

Fight against dengue hits a snag

A prime location for mosquitoes to breed

Enforcement officers face resistance from public