Cabinet Approves RM60 Mln To Prepare For Bird Flu

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- The cabinet has approved an allocation of RM60 million to enhance the country's state of preparedness to face the deadly bird flu (avian influenza) disease.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the money would be spent on programmes like stockpiling anti-viral drugs, upgrading hospitals to accommodate patients and increasing awareness about the disease and vaccinating people in high-risk category.
He said some 220,000 people had been initially identified for vaccination against the bird flu if it arrives on Malaysian shores.
They comprise those who would be exposed to the disease, such as personnel of the veterinary services department, doctors, nurses, some of the staff of the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry and members of the police and military forces as well as Fire Department personnel.
"And we will continue to identify people categorised as high-risk for vaccination from time to time," Dr Chua told reporters after chairing a meeting on preparations for the bird flu with state executive councillors in charge of health matters.
Dr Chua said RM40 million would be spent to stockpile medicine and RM5 million for the initial vaccination programme.
He said the authorities would stockpile the anti-viral drug "Tamiflu" for 2.5 per cent of the total population annually. The shelf life of the Tamiflu is four years.
"We have been informed by the medicine's maker, Roche, that it will begin to arrive starting June next year. For now, what we have is enough for 60,000 people," he added.
Dr Chua took a swipe at pharmacists who misused his name as well as that of the Health Ministry to get their hands on the drug, with some selling Tamiflu at inflated prices of up to RM180.
"But Roche did assure me that they are not giving it to the pharmacists. They want to reserve it for the government because in the event of an emergency, it is not the isolated response and taking Tamiflu that will prevent the disease from spreading," he said.
He expressed the hope that Malaysians would not panic or take the drug unnecessarily.

"The Tamiflu that they take does not confer immunity (against bird flu), they must understand that. It only reduces complications when you have the disease. That's all. I don't understand why some people are taking it now," he said.
Dr Chua further said that 21 hospitals nationwide had been identified to accommodate bird flu patients and the figure was set to be increased.
He said brochures explaining the disease were now available in Bahasa Malaysia and soon they would be translated into English, Mandarin and Tamil.