MEASURES TO ELIMINATE PROBLEM OF MALARIA AT MANDAI AREA

Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for the Environment what measures his Ministry has taken to eliminate the problem of malaria at the Mandai area.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: The Mandai area, in the neighbourhood of the worksites where the 7 foreign workers lived and worked, was thoroughly combed for potential breeding grounds of the Anopheles mosquito - the vector that transmits malaria. Ground puddles were filled and seepage drains were cleared of all chokages. The area is largely forested and undeveloped and seepage water found in such terrain can be conducive to the breeding of this vector.

The area was also fogged with insecticide on three occasions. There were no further cases of malaria reported since then.