Dengue And Pneumonia Cause Of Deaths Of MRSM Students

KOTA BAHARU, March 5 (Bernama) -- The two 14-year-old students at the Kuala Krai Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) who died recently succumbed to dengue and pneumonia.
Health Ministry's disease control division director Datuk Dr Ramlee Rahmat confirmed the cause of the students' death today following tests conducted by the Malaysian Institute of Medical Research (IMR).
"The deaths of the two students are not related," he told Bernama when contacted by telephone here Sunday.
An officer at the State Health Department, after insistence from media representatives who were waiting at the office for follow-ups on the death of the MRSM students, contacted Dr Ramlee who then requested to speak to a Bernama reporter.
The students, Siti Nazirah Said, from Kuala Terengganu, died on Feb 4 at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital (HRPZII) where she was admitted for fever while Amni Izzati Ghani, from Kemaman, who was admitted to the same hospital died last Thursday.
Dr Ramlee said various procedures were taken by the Health Ministry, through the State Health Department, after Siti Nazirah's death.
He said they included preventive measures like fogging, conducting medical checks on other students, upgrading cleanliness and ensuring hygiene in food preparation at the college.
"The ministry is not hiding any information from parents of the victims because we also have to wait for results of the test by IMR to ascertain the cause of their daughters' death," he added.
Yesterday, the families of the students expressed disappointment as to why the actual cause of their daughters' deaths had not been disclosed to them.
They claimed that the hospital informed them that the cause of the deaths had yet to be determined.
Dr Ramlee said the ministry also checked the medical history of the deceased and found that Amni Izzati was asthmatic.
He also said checks were being carried out to determine the source of the dengue infection on Siti Nazirah.
"No other students at the college has been admitted to hospital for dengue fever and checks conducted at the college also found the compound to be clean and free of mosquito breeding," he added.
Dr Ramlee advised parents of students at the college not to panic or be unduly worried and to take their children for immediate medical check up should they come down with fever or complained of not feeling well.
He also said that it was not the ministry which ordered the college to be closed.
It was reported Saturday that more than 500 students from Kelantan were allowed to return home last Thursday after the death of the second student while another 100 from Terengganu and Pahang remained at the college until the school holidays which begin next Friday.
A spokesman from the college, when contacted today said all the students had been allowed to return home.
"It is not a directive from the Education Ministry or other parties, but a decision made by us to ease their parents' anxiety," he added.