Materia Medica Malaysiana

Ministry Takes Steps To Prevent Epidemic After Tsunami

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has taken measures to prevent any epidemic in the areas hit by the tsunami last Sunday.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the states and districts concerned had set up health teams to advise people in those areas about consuming safe water and food as well as proper sanitation.
"The ministry fears water-borne diseases like cholera, food-borne ones like typhoid or diarrhoea and others like pneumonia could break out if controls are not put in place quickly, while stagnant water could breed mosquitoes and cause a dengue fever outbreak," he told reporters at his office, here Tuesday.
Dr Chua said the teams would closely monitor the relief centres housing between 4,000 and 5,000 victims of the disaster.
The tsunami tidal waves, unleashed by a 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake off Sumatra in Indonesia on Sunday, slammed into coastal areas from Perlis to Selangor, killing at least 63 people and displacing 5,000 others from their homes.
Dr Chua said the ministry also set up a national operations room to coordinate medical and health assistance. It can be contacted at 03-8883 4100.
He said the country is capable of handling the aftermath of the disaster without outside help because it has enough trained personnel, equipment and medicines.
"We have 9,000 doctors and 50,000 nurses and support staff. Our manpower is more than enough," he said.