Materia Medica Malaysiana

KL Hospital Prepares For Upsurge In Dengue Cases

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) is preparing its facilities and medical staff to deal with the expected rise in dengue cases here and in Selangor in the next two weeks, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
"Normally, during an outbreak, people tend to panic. When a person has a slight fever or his neighbour is down with dengue fever, he will insist that he has caught the fever too and doctors will have to be extra careful in their diagnosis.
"This means advising patients who have been down with fever for several days and who live in dengue hotspots to be warded, and this will lead to an increase in people seeking treatment. When the situation is more stable and the public is more confident then the number of patients will drop," he said.
He was speaking to reporters after visiting HKL to survey its preparation for handling dengue cases, especially in the wards.
There are currently 150 dengue cases in HKL, accounting for nearly eight per cent of the 1,700 patients in the hospital.
"This is definitely an increase compared to the average of 30 cases several weeks ago," he said.
On the medical staff of HKL, Dr Chua said the hospital would take in doctors from nearby hospitals if necessary.
"The ministry will discuss with the hospital directors of other hospitals on how their doctors can be temporarily engaged to work in HKL," he said.
Dr Chua said to date the areas recording the highest number of dengue cases were Gombak, Kepong, Setapak, Sentul, Loke Yew and Pandan.
He urged the public to become more committed in destroying the breeding grounds of the aedes mosquito, especially in and around their own homes.
"Public awareness is vital as aedes breeding grounds are usually in their houses and the compounds," he said.
He said until now the owners of 253 premises here were fined for letting their compounds become aedes breeding grounds.