Deadly pools at NS camps now off-limits
Friday May 4, 2012
PETALING JAYA: Natural pools or ponds will be permanently
closed to National Service (NS) water activities if the Leptospira bacterium,
which causes leptospirosis, is detected.
The Health Ministry, which issued the circular last Friday,
said any pool or pond that tested positive for the Leptospira bacterium would
be closed permanently because the risk of infection could not be totally
eliminated and the pond could not be disinfected.
Natural ponds that are suspected to be the source of
leptospirosis cases, or are found to have signs of rodent infestation, will
also be closed permanently.
However, man-made pools (those that are lined with concrete
or waterproof material) would only be closed unless successfully disinfected.
“In the past, no specific timeframe was given for the
closure,” said Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman.
“The type of ponds were also not categorised.”
Dr Hasan said the ministry had issued the order following
reports of several leptospirosis cases that had occurred at NS training camps.
The circular serves to improve control measures in the NS
environmental health evaluation guidelines.
Earlier, it had been reported that water-based activities in
rivers and ponds would no longer be part of the NS programme.
It was also announced that the activities would resume once
camp operators built swimming pools on their training grounds.
The decisions were made following the death of trainee R.
Vinoth, 18, at the Terkok camp in Sg Siput Utara, Perak, in March.
Vinoth was reported to have died of leptospirosis.
In 2007, another NS trainee — 18-year-old Mohd Rafi Ameer —
also died of leptospirosis.
According to National Service Department director-general
Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil, only one in 80 NS camps had a swimming pool.
Since the NS started in 2004, water samples at four training
camps had tested positive for leptospirosis.
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