Mombasa County Devolution Executive Member Seth Odongo addressing County administrators at the Coast general hospital on Tuesday. (Photo/Maxwell)
After complaints and fear from locals that the fogging exercise launched by the Mombasa county government eight days ago was harmful to their health, the Mombasa County health Chief officer Doctor Khadija Shikelly has denounced the claims saying the exercise was safe.
Doctor Shikelly said that the insecticide known as ‘Larvaeside’ which was sprayed in various parts of the county every morning and evening hours was not harmful to their health.
Some locals in Changamwe, Likoni and Kisauni Sub-counties had complained that those driving the exercise were covered with nose and mouth masks while locals were left inhaling the insecticide during the fumigation exercise.
Doctor Shikelly made the clarification in a meeting with County administration officers which was attended by the County executive member in charge of Devolution, Public service and Administration, Seth Odongo.
She said that the County health officers conducting the exercise were covering themselves because they were spending many hours carrying out the fumigation exercise in residential areas and locals should not worry about it.
“However, those who are asthmatic as well as those allergic to fumes should keep off whenever the fumigation exercise is conducted in their residential areas,” she cautioned.
On his part, Mr. Odongo appealed to locals for more cooperation as the exercise reaches the residential areas.
He asked the administrators to work closely with community health workers and volunteers to ensure that the fogging exercise is successful.
Odongo said that the exercise will go one even after Chikungunya outbreak is completely contained so that the disease does not re-occur.
“The disease was one experienced in Mombasa in 2004 and most likely it is as a result of our visitors who flocked the county from November throughout the month of December,” he added.
The fogging exercise enters its 9th day Wednesday so as to kill aedes mosquitoes as well as breeding sites in the county.