Liow: Treat all patients with influenza

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Private hospitals refusing to treat patients with influenza-like illnesses will be dealt with severely, warned Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said the ministry could issue summons to such hospitals as provided for under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
“I am the Health Minister for both private and government hospitals and I have given a ministerial directive (to treat patients with ILI). Under this directive, there is no such thing as private hospitals refusing treatment to these patients,” he said after launching the Influenza A (H1N1) Care Clinic here yesterday.
Liow said the ministry was checking on deaths due to late treatment of patients at private hospitals that have been provided with anti-viral drugs.
“Private hospitals can also send throat swab samples for testing at government hospitals. This will be free-of-charge. Just treat the patients,” he urged, adding that the first batch of flu vaccine consisting of 400,000 doses would arrive in mid-October and the second batch in January.
Earlier, after launching a stem cell research and therapy seminar at Ampang Hospital, Liow said government clinics would be opened on weekends to treat flu patients to reduce congestion at public hospitals.
The clinics in Selangor will be open from 8am to 8pm while other state health directors will decide for clinics in their respective states.
Public hospital doctors will be deployed to the clinics for assistance when needed, he added.
He also urged parents to donate their baby’s umbilical cord blood at government hospitals as at least 10,000 samples are needed to find the right match for patients in need.
The country only had about 3,000 samples now, he said, adding that the government had launched four guidelines for the public and private sectors to regulate research into stem cell research and therapy.