'No fumigation at my house yet'

'No fumigation at my house yet'

Many people think that fumigation is ineffective in curbing the
spread of dengue as compared to mobilizing the people to
eliminate the Aedes aegypti mosquito's breeding ground, which is
in clear, standing water. The Jakarta Post asked residents their
thoughts on the issue.

Amin, 34, is a driver. He lives with his wife and two children
in Cengkareng, West Jakarta:

There seems to be a dengue outbreak each year now. Thank God,
no one in my family, or even my whole neighborhood, has ever
contracted the disease.

I am aware of the symptoms through the media. And from what I
know, it can be fatal.

If my children ever have a prolonged fever, I'll rush them to
a hospital immediately.

Even though the city administration said it would provide free
care in certain hospitals, I am still not convinced.

Completing the paperwork and going through all that red-tape
will be a hassle.

I don't care if I have to borrow money from strangers to go to
another hospital, after all, my children are the most precious
thing on earth.

Tarbilah, 30, is a scavenger. The father of two lives in
Kelapa Dua, East Jakarta:

I am not aware that the city has promised to provide free
treatment for dengue patients. Nobody ever told me.

Although there are lots of mosquitoes, my neighborhood has not
been fumigated yet. There hasn't been any fumigation of the area
in the past two years for that matter.

However, I think the people in my neighborhood are doing what
they can to prevent dengue. We clean the area each week. So far,
nobody has contracted the disease.

--The Jakarta Post