The Health Ministry has ordered immediate action to eradicate aedes mosquitoes at waste disposal sites nationwide.

Its minister Liow Tiong Lai said this was because the aedes breeding index at waste disposal sites in the country showed a high increase of 8.5 percent, which exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard of less than one percent.

"This is because there are too many water containers like empty cans and plastic bags which can serve as breeding places for mosquitoes," he told reporters after launching a clean-up 'gotong-royong' in Kampung Baru Penambang in Kota Bharu today.

The minister said after Selangor, Kelantan recorded the second highest increase in dengue cases with 2,531 as at the 36th week.

"This is an increase of 190 percent from last year's 1,658 cases," he said.

Liow said nine deaths due to dengue had been recorded in Kelantan so far this year compared with only one last year.

He said Pasir Mas recorded the highest increase in dengue cases at 529 percent, followed by Tanah Merah (276 percent), Kota Bharu (216 percent) and Tumpat (212 percent).

"Seventy-two percent of dengue patients in Kelantan are Malays and most of them live in the rural areas."

In another development, Liow called on Syarikat Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd and the state government to ensure that the water supply to hospitals in the state would not be disrupted to the extent of affecting their operations.

"At Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, for example, the water supply is still low. At the same time, I would like to ask the management of the hospital to ensure that there are no leaking pipes," he said.

Prior to this, the hospital was said to have asked the water supply company and the state government to do something to ensure the water supply to the hospital would not be disrupted, but the state government, however, refuted the claim.

- Bernama