County to fight bedbug menace
Some passengers traveling to Nairobi from Mombasa were forced to cut short their journey on September 7, 2016 because of bedbugs in the bus they were to travel in. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- County Chief Officer of Health Ojwang Lusi told Nation that getting rid of the insects involve a lot of work because they spread very fast.
- When Nation spoke to the residents, they said the pesticides in the market known to fight the menace are very expensive and that they could not afford.
- Mr Julius Odindo said that bed bugs are very rare insects to hit a place and when it happens, the gods want to speak to their people.
Kisumu County has ‘declared war’ on bedbugs which have been causing major discomfort in villages in the past week.
The bedbugs are said to be giving the residents of Namba Okana sleepless nights hence the move to curb their spread.
On Sunday a team of health workers were sent to the region to survey the area and create awareness on ways of treating affected houses.
County Chief Officer of Health Ojwang Lusi told Nation that getting rid of the insects involve a lot of work because they spread very fast.
“We have contacted public health officials and community health workers who are leading the pack in the exercise of fumigation to eliminate bedbug infestation in the region,” he said.
“Getting rid of the insects requires chemical treatments. Because treating your bed and bedroom with insecticides can be harmful,” he said
Dr Lusi said the county was in talks and will hire experienced pest control professionals to do the work and to educate the community on how to observe cleanliness and to be safe from infestation.
“It is important to use products that can be used safely in bedrooms because some insecticides are very harmful,” he said.
The move followed complaints from the residents whose homes are infested.
He said that they are targeting over 1000 households in the exercise.
When Nation spoke to the residents, they said the pesticides in the market known to fight the menace are very expensive and that they could not afford.
“If we had the money, we would have sprayed our homes but the chemicals are very expensive. I only have money to feed my family,” said Mr Michael Onyango, a resident.
However there were tensions as some of the villagers considered infestation by the bedbugs as a blessing from God and would not wish that their homes be sprayed.
Mr Julius Odindo said that bed bugs are very rare insects to hit a place and when it happens, the gods want to speak to their people.
“I think I will not allow the officers to spray my house, the insects have time and they will soon go,” said Mr Odindo.
Dr Lusi urged the villagers to cooperate with the officers to accept the fumigation exercise to be conducted in their households to avoid a recurrence of the same after the exercise.
“Bedbugs are not god send as people say, allow the fumigation to be done because they are very harmful to human beings as they feed on blood,” said Dr Lusi.
