(Reported by Military News Agency Reporter Chen Jian-Xing, Tainan and Kaohsiung, Sep 15th)

    In response to the dengue fever epidemic prevention in southern regions, on behalf of Minister of Defense Gao Guang-chi, Ministry of Defense Deputy-Chief-of-Staff cum Executive Officer Pu Tze-chun visited Tainan mayor, Lai Qing-de, and Kaohsiung mayor Chen Ju and stressed that the Ministry of Defense will continue to support the needs of local governments and provide military assistance in epidemic prevention to eradicate the epidemic and hazards caused by dengue fever.  Executive Officer Pu arrived in Tainan and Kaohsiung in the morning to visit the mayors Lai Qing-de and Chen Ju respectively to understand the needs of local government in epidemic prevention, and to explain the progress made in epidemic prevention operations and the status of environmental clean-up and maintenance operations of military camps and sites.

    Pu pointed out that, the Ministry of Defense and the Army Command Headquarters have both set up a guidance team respectively to be stationed in the Tainan City Reserve Command Headquarters and 4th Combat Zone to assist in local epidemic prevention operations. This will, hopefully, effectively eliminate the spread of dengue fever in the shortest time possible. In addition, the Ministry of Defense will target restricted camps and sites to conduct clean-up and sterilization operations and subsequently offer full cooperation to local government efforts in military assistance for epidemic prevention and sterilization operations. Mayor Lai Qing-de expressed his gratitude to the assistance provided by the Ministry of Defense during the bird-flu and Typhoon Soudelor and recognized the long term efforts of the military. He believed that under the combined efforts of the central and local departments and military, the epidemic prevention work will effectively stop the spread of the epidemic.

    Mayor Chen Ju pointed out that due to the intensified epidemic situation, the local government will require military support in prevention efforts to stop vector mosquitoes from breeding and ensure the citizens of southern Taiwan are safe from the hazards. In addition, Pu also visited a vacant military site on Juemin Road to observe first-hand the epidemic prevention situation and ordered the military units to form patrol units to maintain the cleanliness of the environment and implement disinfection and sterilization operations and strengthen epidemic prevention.