Don't Panic Over News Of Mysterious Death Of Three Children

KUCHING, Feb 15 (Bernama)--The state government wants parents in Sarawak to remain calm following the mysterious death of three children below six years old last week, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan, Wednesday.
Dr Chan said at the moment there was no confirmation yet on the actual cause of the death of the three children in Sibu as several medical tests needed to be done although they were symptoms of Hand, Foot and Mouth (HFM) diseases linking to their death.
"It is common to have these cases (HFM), which happens all the time. There were few cases reported every year," he told reporters after handing over industrial lots of the Demak Laut Industrial Park to 29 company at Sarawak Industrial Promotion and Exhibition Centre (SIPEC) here today.
Asked whether the death of the children were linked to the Coxsackie diseases that had killed more than 30 children below five years old in Sibu in 1997, Dr Chan said it had not been medically proven yet.
"It is not proven at this moment. We will wait for the test results. Once it is (confirmed) we will announce but not now.
"However, these cases are very sensitive, especially when the state is declared to be free from these diseases. So further studies need to be confirmed," he added.
Dr Chan was commenting on a newsreport in Borneo Post today that in Sibu there were three children that had died suspected of HFM related diseases.
The newsreport said more than 10 children under six years old have also been admitted to the Sibu Hospital and presently being closely monitored.
Following the sudden rise of the HFM-related diseases, Assistant Minister of Public Health and Housing Dr Soon Choon Teck in the same newsreport had advised all parents to be on full alert if they found their children having fever, ulcers in the mouth and rashes on their hands and feet.
Apart from parents, he said teachers from primary schools, kindergartens and the nurseries were told to watch out for the symptoms.