Mobile Teams Formed To Fight HFMD Outbreak

SIBU, March 25 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government has set up 134 mobile teams statewide to educate the people on how to fight the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which has spread to the semi-normadic Penans living in the remote interior.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the teams would also collect data and give whatever assistance necessary.
He said the government has also put on standby helicopters at Kuching, Sibu and Miri for medivac operations as hospitals in these towns have specialists to deal with serious cases.
"We will soon invite experts from the World Health Organisation to help us with the latest management techniques to deal with the epidemic situation," he told reporters at Sibu Airport after returning from trips to Kapit, Sarikei and Mukah Divisions, the HFMD hotspot areas.
Dr Chan said the government would spare no effort in fighting the HFMD outbreak, especially in the rural areas.
He said in places like Kapit Division where, because of the current low water situation in most of the rivers, the government was using helicopters to fly medical personnel in or to evacuate victims from longhouses to the nearest hospitals.
Dr Chan said three cases affecting Penan children in Long Singu in the Kapit division had been recorded.
"The victims, aged above two years old, have been flown to the Bintulu hospital where they are recovering," he said.
He said living so far away from town centres, their most probable cause of infection was through contacts made by their parents with traders.
Meanwhile, special clinics had been set up in the Sibu, Sarikei, Mukah and Kapit emergency units to specifically deal with suspected HFMD cases during the weekends from 8am to 1pm.
They include the Moss Road Polyclinic in Kuching and the new Tudan Health Centre in Miri.
On the latest situation, Dr Chan said there were 187 new cases detected today with the Sarikei Division registering the most (43 cases) followed by Kapit (29), Miri (22), Kuching (20), Bintulu (18) and Samarahan (16).
"The cumulative total statewide stands at 6,611 cases but we have the disease under control," he added.
He reiterated the need for operators of child care centres not to take lightly the government's decision to suspend their operation by another week, saying it was for the sake of the young children.