KUALA LUMPUR: A multi-million ringgit project to upgrade Hospital Kuala Lumpur has been issued with a stop-work order after mosquito larvae were found at six sites.
Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said the Health Department had ordered the contractor, Johawaki Sdn Bhd, to cease work at the six sites for seven days.
“The stop-work order was given to ensure they clean up the area,” said Fadillah after an inspection of the project with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and other agencies.
However, he said the Health Department decided against issuing the contractor with a compound “because the case was not severe”.
Fadillah pointed out that standard operating procedures required contractors to appoint qualified pest control companies to ensure work sites did not become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
The RM165mil project to upgrade the hospital in Jalan Pahang includes a new multistorey parking complex, an engineering block and water tank.
Fadillah said 236 out of 304 (77%) construction sites inspected by CIDB between March and Aug 22 were found to be breeding or at risk of breeding mosquitoes.
He said the Health Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Department had issued 70 compounds and ordered 77 premises to shut down, while clean-up orders had been issued at 86 other places.
Fadillah said the department would intensify anti-dengue operations, particularly at hotspots in Selangor, Kelantan and Pahang.
