Materia Medica Malaysiana

Health Ministry Sets Up Psychiatric Team For Tsunami Survivors

SUNGAI PETANI, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has set up a psychiatric team to provide counselling for survivors of last Sunday's killer tsunami disaster in the country, the parliamentary secretary to the ministry, Lee Kah Choon, said Friday.
He said priority for the counselling service would be given to survivors who had lost family members to the tidal waves.
"The team will also offer its services to those who need them, particularly people suffering from trauma following the disaster," he told a press conference after visiting tsunami victims warded at the Sungai Petani Hospital, here.
Lee said the ministry did not want survivors to be emotionally disturbed by the disaster because it could develop into a serious problem in the long term.
He also said that the ministry had also set up medical and public health teams in the affected states.
Eight medical teams have been stationed in Kedah, eight in Penang, four in Perak and two in Perlis. Nine public health teams have been set up in Kedah, six in Penang, two in Perak and one in Perlis.
Lee said the ministry was also educating the survivors on cleanliness in terms of nutrition and hygiene to prevent outbreak of diseases such as cholera.