Sarawak to have its own flu-testing laboratory

Star: KUCHING: Sarawak, which has seen a three-fold increase in the number of patients being admitted for influenza-like illness, is setting up a flu-test laboratory.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the laboratory at the Sarawak General Hospital here was expected to be operational by the middle of next month. Samples are now sent to Sabah for testing.
Speaking after a meeting on the pandemic at the state Health Department here yesterday, Dr Chan said the number of patients admitted to government hospitals for Influenza A(H1N1) rose dramatically to 38 on Friday from just 12 on Aug 10.
Three pregnant women were among six who had died from the flu in the state.
He said there was also a sharp increase in the number of outpatients with influenza-like illness at government clinics.
“Influenza-like illness represented about 0.5% of total outpatient attendances in mid-July. But the figure has now increased to 5.5%.
“I am not sure when the rising trend will peak,” he said.
Dr Chan said government hospitals in the state had been instructed to reduce elective or non-emergency surgeries.
The move was to reserve medical equipment, like ventilators, to treat H1N1 patients, he said.
Dr Chan said a makeshift “isolation ward” had to be erected under a tree in a car park of the Sri Aman Hospital to treat H1N1 patients due to inadequate facilities at the hospital.
Dr Chan said the health department had set up fever clinics at the Sarawak General Hospital and Sibu Hospital to reduce crowding at the accident and emergency department.
He added that the state Natural Resources Environment Board had been directed to buy one million pieces of surgical masks for distribution to schools and others.