Local councils need not wait for specific instructions from the Sarawak Health Department to conduct their daily routine in fighting against the aedes mosquitoe, says its newly-appointed director, Dr Jamilah Hashim.

She said local councils should begin now to destroy the aedes mosquitoe breeding grounds in their areas of jurisdiction to prevent the spread of dengue fever and zika.

She said 90 per cent of the responsibility to fight the zika and dengue fever lay on the shoulders of the community.

“Both the local councils and the community at large should take quick action.

“The dengue fever has been in the state for many years, so there is no need for specific instructions from the Health Department to local councils to carry out the preventive measures,” added Dr Jamilah.

She said this when informed that some local councils had said they were still waiting for instructions from the health department to carry out their task to fight the aedes mosquito.

Dr Jamilah was speaking at a press conference after Sarawak Welfare, Women and Community Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah officiated the 21st Joint Malaysia-Singapore Nursing Conference here today.

She noted that fogging was only good to keep away the mosquitoes but what was more important was the prevention of the aedes mosquitoe by destroying the breeding ground to halt the laying of eggs.

She said the department staff screened passengers arriving on direct flight from Singapore to the Kuching International Airport and also the Sibu and Miri airports.