Preparation against bird flu

Star: PETALING JAYA: Triaging and strict infection guidelines similar to those enforced during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak would be implemented in hospitals should there be an influenza pandemic.
The National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan – the Government’s guidelines on how the country would react to influenza outbreaks including avian flu – said strict management of patients was needed to prevent the spread of the disease.
Triaging is the process of sorting people into groups based on the urgency of the need for immediate medical attention.
This would be handled at triage centres, which would be established at hospitals.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek had earlier announced that 36 hospitals nationwide would be equipped with the infrastructure and know-how to handle avian flu patients.
Other special infrastructure include negative-pressure isolation wards and facilities to get rid of contaminated material.
The guideline, dated November 2004, also said healthcare workers would be given top priority for vaccination in the event of a pandemic because healthcare sectors would be the country's first line of defence against the disease.
“Maintaining the health service response and the vaccine programme is central to the implementation of the response plan,” the 224-page document said.
It said essential service providers would be the next priority group after healthcare workers.
These would include the police, fire-fighters, armed forces, key emergency response decision makers, utility workers, funeral service and mortuary personnel.
The third group that will be given priority are those at a high-risk of severe or fatal outcomes following an influenza infection.
These include those in nursing homes, long-term care facilities and homes for the elderly; persons with high-risk medical conditions; persons over the age of 65; children aged between six months and 23 months; and pregnant women.
The document said the Government had been carrying out influenza surveillance since September 2003.
It said the number of visits that fit the definition of an influenza-like-illness from selected clinics and all Health Ministry outpatient clinics in the country had been recorded.
The Malaysian action plan is modelled after the World Health Organisation’s five levels of influenza pandemic alert.