'Residents should take the initiative'

'Residents should take the initiative'

Jakarta has been placed on the list of regions facing an
extraordinary occurrence of dengue fever, with almost 2,000
people having contracted the disease since the beginning of the
year, including 18 people who have died. The Jakarta Post asked
residents for their opinion on what can be done to curb the
outbreak.

Danang, 26, works for an event organizer. He lives in
Jatibening, Bekasi:

I blame the public for this dengue outbreak. The government
has done everything that could be expected of it to control
dengue fever. It is the residents who must take action and join
in the effort.

All this time, without much fanfare, the government has passed
many policies that have benefited people.

The government has waived hospital charges for dengue
patients, a policy that in fact is a burden for the hospitals.

I believe we can overcome dengue if people are willing to
change and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Nessa, 23, is a teacher at a preschool. She lives in Pejaten,
South Jakarta:

As the wet season continues and there are floods everywhere,
people have to pay more attention to the dengue outbreak.

The battle against dengue would be more effective if the
public joined hands to curb the outbreak.

I heard that residents in Mampang, South Jakarta, initiated a
regular program to clean up their neighborhood to stop the spread
of the dengue virus.

Maybe the government should increase its effort to train
people in how to prevent the spread of dengue, because most
people just tend to wait for instructions.

--The Jakarta Post