Flu outbreak drill

NST: Is Malaysia prepared for a flu pandemic? The answer will be known when a simulation exercise involving almost the whole nation gets under way early next year.
The main players in the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan exercise will be the army, police, all ministries and government departments, the private sector and non-governmental organisations.
As part of its effort to ensure the country is able to tackle such a pandemic, the Health Ministry has trained 22,000 of its staff to provide treatment and care.
According to director-general of health Datuk Dr Ismail Merican, more staff are being trained to handle emergencies during a pandemic.
He said most state hospitals were equipped with negative-pressure isolation rooms and selected district hospitals would be fitted with them soon.
Dr Ismail said the Government had formed three committees to work out a plan and the logistics to ensure the country was fully prepared, namely:

• the inter-ministerial Committee chaired by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek;
• the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan Committee chaired by Dr Ismail; and,
• a technical committee chaired by deputy director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Shafie Ooyub.

These committees will be co-ordinating all efforts to handle a pandemic.
The committees were established and the simulation exercise was planned in the wake of fears that the bird flu virus could mutate into a virus that could spread from human to human.
Dr Ismail said: "I have held talks with state health directors and state executive councillors to inform them of what we have done, plan to do and what we would like them to do."
Dr Ismail said the ministry had submitted a memorandum to the Cabinet seeking money to, among others, increase resources to train people, buy protective equipment, and stockpile anti-viral drugs.
He said Australia, which will hold a simulation exercise soon, would share its experience and offer feedback.