Universiti Malaya launches RM10mil tropical diseases facility

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya’s new RM10mil Modular Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) Research Facility has been launched, enhancing Malaysia’s ability to combat tropical diseases like the Nipah virus and dengue.
Recognised as the most advanced facility in its class by the French government, the facility was installed by the university’s Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC) at the Faculty of Medicine.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that with the appropriate biosafety facilities to conduct research on disease samples, the centre is expected to cut local dependence on foreign research labs.
At the same time, collaborative links with local and foreign research institutions could be forged.
Previously, disease samples had to be sent to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, United States, for further study.
Mohamed Khaled said that the facility would enhance TIDREC’s role in the study and prevention of infectious tropical diseases.
“We hope that this lab will produce results through the development of vaccines and the commercialisation of research findings,” he said in a press conference.
“I also expect that this facility will also strengthen the country’s national bio-security defences, and help in our measures against biological weapons threats.”
It is learnt that TIDREC is collaborating with researchers from the Defence Ministry. The centre will also develop vaccines and diagnostics to minimise the impact of biological warfare.
The cost of setting up the facility was borne entirely by the ministry.
Also present at the event was French ambassador to Malaysia, Marc Baréty.
Under biocontainment classification, BSL1 labs focus on well-characterised agents not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adult humans while BSL2 facilities cater to pathogens that pose moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment like hepatitis, dengue fever and influenza A, among others.
BSL3 labs are applicable for indigenous or exotic agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease after inhalation like yellow fever and the SARS coronavirus.
Meanwhile, BSL4 facilities are required for work with agents which cause severe to fatal diseases in humans for which vaccines or other treatments are unavailable such as Lassa fever and the Ebola virus.
Mohamed Khaled added that the university’s search for the right person to head its Indian Studies Department was ongoing and a suitable candidate should be identified by June or July.

Malaysians getting obese - by eating too heavily at night

Star: PETALING JAYA: More Malaysians are keeping awake till late to indulge in what is becoming a top national pastime – tucking it in at 24-hour eating joints.
Yes, we are practically eating round-the-clock. If you are still not convinced, take a look at the goings-on at mamak shops close to and way past midnight.
These shops have sprouted up all over the country to satisfy the cravings of Malaysians who are gorging on calorie-packed late night meals with hardly a care – and getting obese in the process.
Statistics show that the prevalence of obesity among Malaysian adults increased by a staggering 250% over a 10-year period from 1996 while the number of overweight has increased by 70%.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006 showed that two out of every five adults or 43%, were either overweight or obese and an alarming situation where the number of obese adults had more than tripled over a decade, from 4% in 1996 to 14% in 2006.
Besides that, about 38% of youngsters aged between 12 and 18 were classified as overweight.
A recent survey involving 10,000 students showed that 24% of those aged between six and 12 were either overweight or obese.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai is obviously a very worried man, with more Malaysians at risk of being seriously ill due to uncontrollable eating.
“It has to change ... an unbalanced diet and eating late at night,’’ he cautioned. “In the past, we used to have two meals. These days, we are eating five to six times daily with late-night suppers at mamak stalls,’’ he said after launching the Malaysian Council for Obesity Prevention (MCOM) here yesterday.
MCOM, which comprises 13 professional bodies and NGOs, was set up to help the government counter the problem of obesity in the country.
The minister, an avowed vegetarian, spoke of another worrying trend – meat is fast becoming a staple-diet here. A diet rich in red meat causes high cholesterol which leads to cardio-vascular disease.
“Available data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity indicates that the problem we face may be more serious than those in other countries of the region,” he added.
Being overweight and obese, he said, would lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even cancer.
According to statistics, 14.9% and 43% of Malaysians aged above 30 suffer from diabetes and hypertension respectively, with 20.7% of adults over 18 suffering from high cholesterol.
Liow said 300 nutritionists would be employed to serve at government clinics nationwide to help tackle obesity problems by creating awareness on the dangers of unhealthy eating.
Malaysian Council for Obesity Prevention (MCOM) president Jong Koi Chong echoed the minister’s concerns, saying the unhealthy eating trend was becoming a major problem.
“Our metabolic rate is very low at night making it easy for fat to accumulate in the body.
"Most 24-hour restaurants serve food that is high in fat, calories and cholesterol. Sadly, more of our young are picking up bad eating habits from adults,’’ he added.

60 H1N1 cases in hospitals now

Star: PETALING JAYA: A total of 60 confirmed Influenza A(H1N1) cases are in hospitals, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said.
He said that as of 8am yesterday, there were 554 cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the country and the patients were currently being warded in hospitals.
“From that total, 55 cases have been confirmed as influenza A(H1N1) cases while five more cases are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Dr Ismail said that going by reports on cluster cases, influenza A(H1N1) was still active.
“The public must be vigilant and take preventive steps to control it,” he said.
He said six clusters had been reported in Malacca, Perlis, Terengganu and Kedah.
He said 16 students from Kolej Yayasan Saad in Ayer Keroh, Malacca and its college staff; 11 trainees from Lagenda National Service Camp in Asahan, Jasin, Malacca; and six trainees from the Tassoh NS camp in Perlis have received outpatient treatment.
“Laboratory test results for the clusters had not been received,” he said.
He added that 15 students from Sekolah Pondok Darul Iman in Kuala Berang, Terengganu; 35 students from SMK Kelibang in Langkawi and 84 students SMK Kedawang in Langkawi received outpatient treatment.
Laboratory test results showed that they do not have ILI symptoms, he said.
Dr Ismail said the public could obtain further information by visiting the Health ministry’s website h1n1.moh.gov.my or call the hotline at 03-888 10200/300 from 8am to 8pm.

Part-time jobs in govt hospitals

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is calling on private doctors around the country to take up 144 part-time vacancies in government clinics nationwide.
These vacancies are being offered to doctors in the private practice to serve on a locum basis.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who extended the invitation yesterday, said the ministry had received only 18 applications in March.
“We hope more doctors will help fill this shortage,” he said during a working visit to Hospital Ampang.
Liow announced that the doctors would be paid RM80 an hour.
Sessional shift in the clinics are from 8am to 5pm on weekdays while locum consultation is from 5pm to 9.30pm on weekdays and 8am to noon on Saturdays.
Liow said the ministry had allocated RM31mil for this initiative.
He also said the ministry had been opening its doors to doctors from the private sector to serve in government clinics and hospitals since 2002. According to Liow, there were about 10,000 doctors in private practice in the country.
Another 15,000 are in government service. The offer is also open to specialists to serve in government hospitals.
“They will be paid RM100 an hour for consultation and RM120 an hour if they need to perform surgery,” Liow said.
“Currently, there are only 20 specialists providing their services on a sessional basis,” he added.
Doctors interested in applying must be registered with the Malaysian Medical Council and can register online at http://www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/formDetails.jsp?action=load&id=55

95% of govt dispensaries serve patients within 30 minutes

Star: PETALING JAYA: Almost 95.4% of the 39.4 million prescriptions for outpatients at government hospitals and clinics last year were dispensed in less than 30 minutes, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said yesterday.
He said 93% of government hospitals and clinics achieved the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) set by the Health Ministry to ensure that waiting times at pharmacies be under 30 minutes.
Dr Ismail also said that pharmacy services were now more patient-oriented to ensure medicines dispensed were safe, of quality and effective.
This, he said, was done through special services like clinical pharmacokinetics, nutritional support, oncology pharmacy and nuclear pharmacy.
“Medicine prescribed through these special services are based on individual needs which could improve the quality of treatment and reduce any side-effect,” he said in a statement.
Dr Ismail also said that 74 main hospitals, 62 specialist hospitals, 14 district hospitals and 37 health clinics nationwide had implemented the Medication Therapy Adherence Clinic programme.
The programme allows for optimum compliance on medication dispensing to avert complications in patients.
The pharmacy services had also implemented new methods for drug dispensing such as the Integrated Drug Dispensing System, drive-through pharmacy, SMS alerts and appointment cards to make it easier for patients to get their medicine supply.
He said 87 hospitals and 38 clinics were now offering these services to their patients.
Dr Ismail said the SMS alert service had received good response from patients, whereby they were only required to send a text message to a government pharmacy before picking up their medication.
Last year, the Integrated Drug Dispensing System handled 115,086 prescriptions.
“The system enables patients to obtain their medicines from any hospital or clinic of their choice,” he said.

All hospitals must report medication errors, says D-G

Star: PETALING JAYA: To ensure that patients are exposed to minimal risk when seeking medical treatment, all health organisations are now required to report medication errors and hospital-acquired infections, to allow remedial programmes to be instituted.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the ministry remained dissatisfied with the reporting system practised by certain private health organisations.
“Some already have the mechanism while others do it for their internal consumption.
“We are very concerned about patient safety but things do not seem to be moving in the private sector,” he said yesterday.
A total of 2,572 medication errors were received by the Malaysian Medication Error Reporting System which started last year.
The Patient Safety Council, which seeks to enhance the safety of the healthcare system, recently drew up more measures to be implemented from this year.
He added that several of these measures would eventually be included in the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act.
Dr Ismail, who chairs the council, added all hospitals in the country must implement the safe surgery programme, which is being practised in major state hospitals.
“The director-general and his top management team will initiate a programme for regular, random inspection of healthcare facilities in government hospitals, including university hospitals as well as the private sector to identify opportunities for improvement,” he added.
He said that in order to protect healthcare workers, all stakeholders were encouraged to plan for the implementation of “needle-less sytems” in their clinical operations.
Such systems, he said have been shown to reduce the risk of communicable diseases being transmitted, besides reducing the cost of having to treat infected healthcare workers and patients.

9,698 health officers promoted under career advancement plan

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 9,698 health officers were promoted from Grade 44 up to Grade 54 following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement on Tuesday on a comprehensive career advancement plan for the three services under the Health Ministry.
Chief secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said they comprised 8,521 clinical/administrative medical officers, 650 dentists and 527 pharmacists.
For a start, 2,554 doctors on Grade UD44 were promoted to Grade UD48 right up to Grade UD54 effective Tuesday, he said in a statement on Friday.
For specialist doctors, 12 were promoted from Grade UD44 to UD48, 68 to UD52, and 321 to UD54. Of the non-specialist doctors on Grade UD44, 1,751 will be promoted to UD48, 312 to UD52 and 90 to UD54.
“The promotion of all Grade UD44 medical officers to the grade that they are eligible for will be implemented before March 31, 2010,” he said.
Sidek said that under this new career path, the promotion of medical, dental and pharmaceutical officers up to Grade 54 in the ministry would be based on the length of service and no longer on vacancies.
“The promotion of medical officers on Grade UD48 and UD52 as well as that of all eligible dental and pharmaceutical officers will be implemented in stages based on this career advancement plan,” he aded.
He said the medical officers concerned could check the plan via the ministry’s website at www.moh.gov.my
He said the government’s decision was in recognition of the contributions of the medical officers in raising the country’s health service level and to motivate them to continue providing quality service as well as to maintain their interest to serve longer in the public sector.
Najib, when announcing the plan, said it was aimed at providing opportunities for more attractive career advancement in a shorter period.
For example, he had said, a medical specialist could rise to Grade UD54 in nine years compared with 11 years now while for a clinical/administrative medical officer, it would take 12 years instead of 17.

Career Advancement Plan Will Help Retain Doctors In Public Sector

Bernama: KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), the country's premier organisation representing doctors, believes that the newly-announced comprehensive career advancement plan for doctors, dentists and pharmacists will help retain the doctors in the public sector.
Its president, Dr David Quek said this was also a vital move to maintain the number of doctors in the public sector, which currently was declining.
"It would certainly encourage more doctors working in the government hospitals and clinics to remain in the service rather than consider venturing out into private practice," he said in a statement here, on Wednesday.
The comprehensive career advancement plan was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday.
The initiative, which involved an additional annual expenditure of RM200 million, was aimed at improving career advancement by giving them the opportunity to move up to Grade 54 within two to five years.
Dr Quek said MMA had been working closely with the government to improve the service, training opportunity, salary, allowance and other perks and benefits for the doctors in the public sector.
"Over the past many years, we have, through our Schomos (Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists), liaised closely with the Health Ministry and the Public Service Department to improve the conditions of service.
"We are therefore very delighted that most of our requests have now been answered, and that so many doctors would now benefit from such upgrading service," he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) president Dr Lee Soon Boon also agreed that the plan would stop the exodus of dentists from the public to the private sector.
Besides, he said, the initiative was also deemed appropriate due to the current situation where most doctors were also entrusted with heavier responsibilities.
At present, he said there were 3,606 dentists in the country, 53 per cent of whom were in the government service, while the rest were in the private sector.
Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society president Datuk Nancy Ho, on the other hand, said that the initiative clearly showed that the prime minister was serious in promoting the 1Malaysia concept.
"We appreciate the recognition from the government to pharmacists for doing a professional job. This also shows that they are concerned about the people and the professionals," she explained.
She also believed that the initiative would encourage pharmacists nationwide to discharge their duties to the best of their ability.
Meanwhile, Cuepacs president, Omar Osman said Cuepacs lauded the career advancement plan for the medical and education sector, but believed that the government should consider similar initiative for other sectors too, especially for workers of lower grade and those in the rural areas.
"Attention should also be given to those working in the rural areas because they are closer to the people," he said.

Faster Promotion For Doctors, Dentists And Pharmacists To Grade 54

Bernama: KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Tuesday announced a comprehensive career advancement plan for public doctors, dentists and pharmacists, which expedites their promotion to Grade 54 by between two and five years.
He said the initiative, which involved an additional annual expenditure of RM200 million, was aimed at improving career advancement by giving them the opportunity to move up to Grade 54 within a more reasonable time frame.
For example, a medical specialist can progress to Grade 54 in nine years compared to 11 years now, and a (clinical/administrative) medical officer can move up in 12 years compared to 17 years now.
"Following this improvement in the career advancement plan, the government hopes that doctors, dentists and pharmacists in the Health Ministry will continue to provide excellent service to the people," he said in a statement.
Najib also said that the Public Service Department (PSD) and the Health Ministry were working out the promotion of eligible Grade UD44 medical officers to Grade UD48, and the majority of them were expected to be enjoy the benefit before the end of this month.
Najib said the improvement was in recognition of the role and contribution of those providing healthcare to the people, and it was felt that this would enhance their commitment and determination to fulfill the desire to raise the level of service at government hospitals.
Elaborating, the prime minister said that on Dec 5, 2007, the government agreed to promote directly to Grade UD44 all medical officers appointed from Jan 1, 2008 onwards, soon after completing their two-year housemanship and having registered with the Malaysian Medical Council.
To ensure that medical officers appointed prior to Jan 1, 2008 were unaffected by the decision, it was decided to promote these officers to Grade UD44, he said, adding that this involved promoting 9,871 medical officers in 2009.

The career advancement plan is as follows:
* Promotion to Grade 44 for dentists who have been on Grade 41 for two years, and for pharmacists after three years.
* Promotion to Grade 48 for doctors and dentists who have been on Grade 44 for three years or up to the date of gazetting as specialists, whichever is earlier; and for pharmacists who have been on Grade 44 for four years.
* Promotion to Grade 52 for (clinical/administrative) doctors and dentists who have been on Grade 48 for four years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier; also for medical specialists and dental specialists who have been on Grade 48 for two years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier, and subject to recommendation of the Specialists Evaluation Panel of the Health Ministry, and pharmacists who have been on Grade 48 for four years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier.
* Promotion to Grade 54 for (clinical/administrative) doctors and dentists who have been on Grade 52 for three years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier.

For medical specialists and dental specialists who have been on Grade 52 for two years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier, and subject to the recommendation of the Specialists Evaluation Panel.
For pharmacists who have been on Grade 52 for three years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier.
For medical specialists and dental specialists, the promotion from Grade 54 to Special Grade C and higher is subject to the recommendation of the ministry's Specialists Evaluation Panel.
For medical officers (clinical/administrative), dental officers (clinical/administrative) and pharmacists, the promotion from Grade 54 to Special Grade C and higher is subjection to availability of vacant positions.
Najib said that based on the career advancement plan, the maximum period for doctors, dentists and pharmacists eligible to be promoted up to Grade 54 had been shortened.

The average period for promotion to Grade 54 is as follows:
* Medical officers (Specialist) - nine years (now 11 years)
* Dental officers (Specialist) - nine years (now 11 years)
* Medical officers (Clinical/Administrative) - 12 years (now 17 years)
* Dental officers (Clinical/Administrative) - 12 years (now 17 years)
* Pharmacists - 14 years (now 17 years)

A bitter pill for GPs from MMA

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: General practitioners should re-engineer themselves in light of stiff competition from government and private hospitals and rapid medical science development, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said.
Its president Dr David Quek, in his column in the latest MMA bulletin, said the role of general practitioners was increasingly depreciated and marginalised and they were “a marked and endangered species teetering on the brink of extinction.”
Doctors, he said, should realise that times and medical practice had changed and they should look within themselves to re-engineer their modus operandi.
“General practitioners have to emerge from their cocooned complacency that simply serving quietly and earnestly behind long hours of general practice would suffice. It will not,” he added.
Dr Quek said the MMA would assist general practitioners by organising a summit where all issues and their future challenges could be debated to prepare a comprehensive policy.
He said he hoped doctors in the public sector would also come forward to provide input for the betterment of the profession.
In the same bulletin, MMA member Dr H. Krishna Kumar said 4,000 new doctors were joining the profession every year and this posed great competition to private practitioners.
Another source of competition was the improvement of services provided by government hospitals, where there were now more locums to man the accident and emergency departments, thus reducing waiting time, he said.

Doctors wanted at 162 health clinics

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry invites application from private doctors who are registered with the Malaysian Medical Council and fulfil the service requirement to serve at the 162 government health clinics nationwide.
Its director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said they could work at the clinics on “sessional” or “locum” basis and be paid RM80 per hour.
The working hours is from 8am to 5pm on normal working days (sessional), while the extended time is from 5pm to 9.30pm on Monday to Friday and 8am to noon on Saturday (locum), he said in a statement.
Those keen to apply can obtain further information and the application form by surfing the ministry’s website www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/categoryView.jsp

Increase in dengue cases

Star: PETALING JAYA: The dengue situation in the country is at an alarming level with 11 deaths recorded in the first three weeks of the month.
As of Saturday, 3,002 dengue cases were reported all over the country.
According to the Health Ministry’s Disease Control Division (national dengue operations room), Selangor recorded the highest number with 1,370 cases between Jan 1 and 23.
This was followed by Sarawak (645 cases), Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya (246), Johor (166) and Sabah (106).
Seven out of the deaths were from Selangor.
As of yesterday, there were 31 hotspots throughout the country, of which 20 were in Selangor.
The ministry has issued a dengue alert to all states on Nov 26, last year.
Its deputy director-general Datuk Dr Hassan Abdul Rahman urged the people to ensure their homes, schools and workplaces were free of mosquito breeding grounds.
He said fogging was a temporary measure.
“As long as mosquito breeding grounds still exist, new adult mosquitoes will emerge and the infection will continue,” he said in an interview.
Of the 77,818 premises inspected the previous week, Dr Hassan said 1,549 (2%) were found to breed Aedes mosquitoes — an increase of 33% compared to the previous week.
Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, who is Selangor health, estate workers affairs, poverty eradication and caring government committee chairman, said dirty neighbourhoods contributed to the high number of dengue cases.
“High incidences of dengue in Selangor is nothing new. This is because of the large population living in places that are not clean,” he said.
“There is a dengue outbreak in the state every year,” he added.
In GEORGE TOWN, three residents in Jalan Pintasan Bahagia, Bayan Baru, contracted dengue fever while seven others in the same area have been suspected to have come down with the disease.
“The south-west health authorities had started fogging the affected area twice a day since the first case was confirmed last week,” Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin said during a gotong-royong in Kampung Jawa yesterday.
Under the law, those found to be breeding Aedes mosquitoes will be slapped with a RM500 compound per breeding site, besides a possible fine or even a jail term under the Destruction of Disease Bearing Insects Act.

Utar set to produce doctors

Star: PETALING JAYA: There is now a new and affordable avenue for Malaysians to study medicine locally.
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rah-man’s (Utar) new Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences will start its first intake in May for a course which will cost about RM50,000 a year, a fraction of what parents would have to pay for medical courses in other local private universities.
The Higher Education Ministry has approved the faculty’s Bache-lor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme. The faculty will accept an initial batch of 50 students this year.
Housed at the varsity’s Sg Long campus in Selangor, the MBBS programme will cost about RM250,000 for the entire five-year course. The amount is far smaller than similar programmes in traditional countries.
A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was also signed with the Health Ministry yesterday, formalising the placement of Utar medical and health sciences students at government hospitals.
With the MoA, Utar students will undergo their practicum, industrial training or clinical studies at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Ampang Hospital, Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baru and Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh.
Commending Utar for its initiative, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said that his ministry was excited to accept Utar into its pool of collaborating universities.
There are currently 25 universities’ training doctors in Malaysia.
Ten of them are public universities while private universities and university colleges make up the rest. “This is a historical event for Utar,” said Liow in a press conference after the signing ceremony.
“Based on Utar’s track record in producing quality graduates and commitment in promoting lifelong learning, I have no doubt that the university will attain the same level of excellence in their new venture.”
Established on Nov 16, last year, Utar’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences also plans to offer three more degree programmes in Nursing, Physiotherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The application process for Utar’s MBBS course is open until the end of March and selected applicants will be interviewed in early April.
Utar president and chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik told The Star that the interview process would test applicants’ maturity, passion, commitment and attitude.

More bite from March for national dental health care

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will launch a nationwide dental health awareness campaign in March.
Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said a survey by the ministry found that 60% of 12-year-olds had dental caries (tooth decay or cavities), with the number rising to 75% among those aged 16 and 90% in adults.
He said this was despite the fact that Malaysia boasted comprehensive dental care services, including preventive efforts like free screening and educational programmes in pre-schools and schools.
He said the ministry had similar preventive programmes for the elderly and special children.
“The high number of people with dental problems is a cause for concern.
“Checks among children as young as six have found that 70% of them have dental caries.
“At that age, it is not too worrisome because their permanent teeth have not grown yet, but the lack of care continues as they grow older and we want to change this,” he said, adding that the campaign would be carried out in collaboration with the Malay-sian Dental Association (MDA).
Liow was speaking at a press conference after receiving a courtesy call from the Chinese Stomatological Association (CSA) delegation here yesterday.
He also said Malaysia was looking to increase the number of dentists it produced annually, from the current 250 to 800 over the next few years.
The aim, he said, was to change the current dentist-to-population ratio by 2018 from the current 1:7,840 to the World Health Organisation standard of 1:4,000.
On the CSA visit, he said it was to enhance collaboration between Malaysia and China in dental care.
CSA president Prof Dr Wang Xing led the delegation, which is in Malaysia to attend the International Dental Federation (FDI)-MDA Scientific Convention and Trade Exhibition starting tomorrow.

1Malaysia clinics to go ahead without docs

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The 1Malaysia clinics will operate without doctors, and patients with serious illnesses would be referred to polyclinics and government hospitals.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said although he understood the concerns of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), the country was facing a shortage of doctors.
“It is our intention to have doctors at all clinics. But we do not even have enough doctors in hospitals. This does not mean the people should be deprived of medical services. Medical assistants and nurses can help out here,” he said.
MMA president Dr David Quek had expressed concern over the 1Malaysia clinics.
He said they should be manned by registered medical doctors, as clinics run by medical assistants and nurses could lead to a poorer standard of healthcare.
Liow said he met with MMA representatives on Jan 8 to address their concerns.
“The MMA and the Government have the same objective, which is to improve the standard of health services,” he added.
“We are short of doctors, even in hospitals and the big clinics. So doctors, and also locums, will be posted there. 1Malaysia clinics are only for illnesses such as coughs and colds.
“Patients with more serious illnesses should go to hospitals and polyclinics.
“We will stick with the first 50 and evaluate their performance. Forty-four have begun operating, and the remaining six will be opened by the end of the month,” he said, adding that the delay was due to renovation work.
Liow was speaking to reporters after handing out RM2mil each to the Tung Shin Hospital and the Chinese Maternity Hospital yesterday.

SMS to cut hospital wait

Star: JOHOR BARU: The Health Ministry is introducing an SMS-based system to notify patients of their appointments to reduce queues at hospitals.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the pilot project had been implemented at the Mamodiah Outpatient Clinic here.
The queue management and appointment reminder would also send out an SMS when there are five patients before their turn.
“We are still fine tuning the system and once the kinks are ironed out, we will start implementing it at medical facilities with high patient rates,” he said, adding that the project was carried out in collaboration with Celcom.
“This system will also allow for updated statistics for hospital services in the country. Through the system, we will be able to monitor the number of patients, the illnesses they are being treated for, and even the duration at the various departments within the hospital and clinics.”
Liow said at present only 70% of local hospitals had achieved the 30-minute waiting limit set by the ministry last year.
“Although there has been progress, we hope that technology can help us further reduce patients’ waiting time,” he said after a briefing on the system here yesterday.
At another event, during the groundbreaking for a new block of the Southern College in Skudai, Liow said the ministry would propose a new Act to govern traditional and complementary medication (T&CM) at the next parliamentary seating.
“The Act would help to ensure the safety and quality of T&CM and help the industry to grow locally,” he said.

11,000 waiting for kidney transplants

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 11,000 patients are still waiting for kidney transplants while 29 others need livers, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said another eight patients needed heart transplant surgery while 12 others had to undergo lung transplants and heart and lung transplants for two other patients.
“Up until Friday (Dec 11), we obtained 36 cadavers, 32 kidneys, four livers, 23 pairs of corneas, 19 heart valves tissues, seven bones and three skin.
“However, the number of patients waiting for organ transplants are far more than what we have obtained,” he told reporters at a press conference after the launch of the 3rd Global Bio-Herbs Economic Forum here Saturday.
Last year, he said, 56 kidney and five liver transplant surgeries had been carried out but there was no transplant of heart and lung.
He said by the end of last year, the cumulative organ transplant operations were kidney (1,264), liver (86), heart (19), lung (three) and heart and lung (one).
“The number of pledges for organ donation for this year is 13,546 while the accumulated pledges since 1997 is 135,847.
“We need more people to come forward to make the pledge so that we can save more lives,” he said, adding that 45% of them were male.
Liow said his ministry would send a thank you note to the parents of a 17-year-old boy from Kampar who consented to donate their son’s organs, including the heart, after the teenager was declared brain-dead after a road accident.
“We are sad over his demise but we also want to express our gratitude to his parents for making the decision to donate his organs,” he said.

Asia’s first valve implant without surgery

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The National Heart Institute (IJN) achieved another milestone by performing the first heart valve implant in Asia without the need for open heart surgery.
The procedure has a 99% success rate.
Known as trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (Tavi), the procedure allows for problematic valves in the aorta to be replaced with an artificial one by using a catheter, a tube that is 6mm in diameter.
The tube is inserted either in the thigh or below the left collar bone and then slid through arteries to the heart.
“Patients, who have gone through Tavi, will be able to move around on the third day after the implantation but they will be required to lie down during the first 24 hours,” said IJN medical director Datuk Seri Dr Robaayah Zambahari during a press conference yesterday.
The procedure, which uses a device called CoreValve, causes less trauma to body tissues and enables a faster recovery compared to the conventional open heart surgery as only incisions are made at certain areas to insert the tube.
Dr Robaayah was part of the team of IJN consultants which performed the procedure on two patients on Nov 25; a 73-year-old man and a 77-year-old man, both of whom had severe narrowing of heart valves.
The third patient is National Laureate Datuk Shahnon Ahmad, 76, who was treated the next day.
Other team members were cardiologists Datuk Dr Rosli Mohd Ali, Dr Shaiful Azmi and cardiothoracic surgeons Datuk Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub, Dr Jeswant Dillon and anaesthesiologists Datuk Dr Mohamed Hassan Ariff and Dr Sharifah Suraya.
The procedure was assisted by Dr Ganesh Manoharan, a consultant interventional cardiologist from Ireland, who will oversee the operations of the next 12 to 15 patients currently on the waiting list.
The CoreValve device costs RM112,000 while another RM10,000 is needed for other operation costs.
Dr Robaayah hoped that the Health Ministry would support and subsidise the procedures for the public in future. The current ones were borne by the institute.
Dr Robaayah said there had yet to be any case of a patient rejecting the artificial valve, which is made out of a type of metal called Nitinol.
The procedure takes between 45 minutes and one-and-a-half hours.
“We took about two-and-a-half hours for the first patient because we were still learning about the procedure and wanted to be careful,” she said, adding that the method was only performed on high-risk patients such as the elderly.
Dr Ganesh said local anaesthesia was applied to the patients and they remained conscious during the procedure.
“It is not surprising to see patients smiling as we conduct the procedure on them,” he said.
Dr Ganesh said about 50 centres worldwide were using the technology, adding that it was suitable for Asians as their blood vessels were generally smaller.

90% don’t use condoms

Star: GEORGE TOWN: Some 90% of drug users do not use condoms and this is a source of worry because it can contribute to the rise of HIV/AIDS cases, said social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir.
Marina, an Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS steering committee member, said drug users continued to neglect the use of condoms despite the contraceptives being distributed for free by some non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“Condoms are 98% safe and it can present an affordable way to combat the spread of the disease,” she told reporters yesterday after the opening of the World HIV/AIDS Day national conference.
The two-day conference was launched by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Marina said 24-hour convenience stores should be allowed to sell condoms off-the-shelf although some state governments were against it.
Malaysian AIDS Council vice-president Datuk Zaman Khan said the distribution of free condoms did not mean that NGOs were encouraging free sex.
In his speech, Liow said the country was on track towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV by 2015.
He said the disease remained a potent threat because of the increasing infection through sex and more women were becoming infected.
Liow said the notification rate of HIV/AIDS in the country had continued to fall each year after it peaked at 6,978 cases or 28.5% per 100,000 population in 2002.
Last year, it was 13.3% per 100,000 population and this year indication shows that it may drop to 11% per 100,000.
“I am optimistic that the country can arrest the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 based on current trends,” he said.

Brace for rise in H1N1 cases

Star: GEORGE TOWN: The recent increase of Influenza A(H1N1) cases in the northern hemisphere serves as a reminder for countries to be alert for a possible second wave of the flu.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said 95% of countries in the northern hemisphere had recorded a rise in new cases.
The ministry, he said, had stepped up efforts to ensure the second wave was kept at bay in Malaysia. He added that the country must remain vigilant as the outbreak was still at Level Six, the highest of the World Health Organisation’s pandemic alert scale.
‘‘We cannot take this lightly although the H1N1 outbreak has stabilised in the country.
“We must ensure, where possible, that a second wave does not hit us,” he told reporters yesterday after launching the World HIV/AIDS Day national conference.
As of yesterday, the death toll still stood at 77 out of 12,210 confirmed cases while four patients remained in critical condition. For the week ended on Nov 28, a total of 589 cases were reported for flu-like illnesses, of which 573 have been discharged, said Liow.
To prepare for the second wave, he said the ministry had vaccinated 6,617 frontliners.
He said the ministry had also upgraded its surveillance system by improving early detection in all states including having the main command centre operating around-the-clock, and stock-piling anti-viral drugs at its pharmacies.
He advised people, especially those travelling during the school holidays, to take extra precautions. Meanwhile, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said 10 patients tested positive for the A(H1N1) flu last week.

WHO: More women getting HIV from their husbands

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: About 30% of all new HIV cases in Malaysia are women, a 400% increase compared with five years ago.
“It is an alarming figure. This finding has changed the previous perception that homosexuals and drug users are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
“It has brought a new set of issues that we need to deal with and it is becoming more complex now,” said the United Nations Resident Coor­dinator Kamal Malhotra at the launch of The Red Carnival in conjunction with World AIDS Day at Sungei Wang Plaza yesterday.
Organised by PT Foundation for the 11th year, the two-day event has brought people from all walks of life especially youths in efforts to boost awareness on HIV/AIDS.
The findings, revealed by a World Health Organisation study on women’s health around the world last month, necessitated a new approach in dealing with HIV/AIDS.
“It should be dealt with as more than a health issue, but with the religious and legal aspects as well,” he said.
As of today, there are 33.4 million people around the world who are infected and living with HIV.
There were nearly three million new cases last year.
In Malaysia, 85,000 people have been infected with the disease, with about 15 new cases daily.
Up to June, a total of 1,497 people were infected.
A total of 315 Malaysians have died from AIDS.
PT Foundation chairman Hisham Hussein said many women and children had been infected with HIV/AIDS in the last few years.
He said most of these women did not see themselves as the vulnerable group that could get infected.
“They believe that they would not get infected because they are not drug users nor do they have multiple sexual partners.
“Yet they get it from their husband,” he said.
Hisham had urged the public to change their attitude about HIV/AIDS and to reduce stigma and discrimination against those who are infected with the ailment.

Health Ministry issues nationwide dengue alert

Star: PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has announced a nationwide dengue alert following an increase of 99 reported dengue cases within a week with two deaths in Malacca and one in Penang.
Deputy health director-general Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said that 819 cases were reported last week (Nov 15 to 21) compared with 720 the week before (Nov 8 to 14).
“We have issued a dengue alert to state health directors and doctors to keep a look out for the cases,” he said.
The total number of reported cases for this year until last week was 36,514 with 78 deaths compared with 41,034 and 90 deaths last year.
Dr Hasan said if the public did not take the necessary action to remove aedes breeding sites, the number of cases could double next month.
Explaning that the drastic increase in dengue cases was due to the rainy season, he said: “Despite our awareness programme, the response from the public has not been encouraging.”
Speaking at a dialogue session on 1Malaysia Fight Against Dengue yesterday, Dr Hasan said the ministry had carried out surveys and found that people were aware of where and how aedes breeds in the house and outside but most of them neglected to check on those areas.
“They tend to think that it’s the Government’s responsibility, but we need cooperation from the people,” he said.
In the last three months, Sarawak recorded the highest number of increase with 331 cases last week, making it a total of 2,847 cases this year.
In total, Selangor recorded the highest number of cases in the country at 16,984.
Dr Hasan said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had also placed the country on avian influenza alert following some reported cases in neighbouring countries.
There were no cases recorded in Malaysia and the Veterinary Services Department was monitoring the situation throughout the country while the ministry exchanged information with other countries in Asean as well as with the WHO.
Universiti Malaya medical microbiology department professor Dr S. Shamala Devi, who also spoke at the dialogue, said that people might get both Influenza A(H1N1) and avian influenza at the same time if their immune system was weakened.

In Kota Kinabalu, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said there were 199 cholera cases as of yesterday in the two affected states – Terengganu (185) and Kelantan (14).
She said health officials were now using different antibiotics to treat patients following the detection of a new strain of cholera in Thailand.
“The two states are close to Thailand. We believe that it is due to water contamination,” she said, adding that the 17 cholera cases detected in Sabah earlier this month was due to the “usual” strain found in the country.
Rosnah said that the cholera patients in Terengganu and Kelantan were not from relief centres but other areas.
“Our officers are closely monitoring the health situation at the flood relief centres,” she said.
The first case of cholera was detected in Terengganu earlier this month.
One person has died from it.

Ensuring cheaper private healthcare

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The public can soon seek medical treatment at private clinics and not worry too much about high costs.
This is because the Government is considering paying a portion of the bill for treatment at private clinics under a proposed healthcare reform plan which is expected to be ready next year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the details and quantum of payment have not been worked out but the plan would ensure that the public could get quality medical service at their convenience.
“The plan is to pay a portion of the bill but there is a cap to the amount,” he told reporters yesterday after a courtesy call from World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Margaret Chan and Chinese deputy health minister Wang Guoqiang at his office here,
“The public will pay the remaining amount,” said Liow, adding that WHO had offered their expertise and advice.
Liow said the proposed healthcare reform would also see the Government introducing the national health financing scheme.
He said the ministry was studying several models implemented in other countries such as paying medical bills through deduction from the Employees Provident Fund or a tri-parte payment scheme were medical cost would be borne by the patient, his employer and the government.

Improve quality of care for post-partum period, docs urged

Star: PETALING JAYA: Doctors need to improve the quality of care for the post-partum period, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
He said 60% of the deaths occurred during post-natal period and the rate was higher among women over 40 and those who had given birth more than five times, he said.
“Patient factors such as unbooked cases (where mothers did not receive antenatal care and did not register with a health facility for child delivery) and non-compliance to doctors’ advice, admission and therapy were identified as contributory factors to maternal deaths.”
Common remediable clinical factors included failure in communication and lack of technical knowledge and skill that resulted in failure to recognise early warnings, he added.
Dr Ismail said for every maternal death there were many “near misses” and this might provide doctors with more information on areas for improvement than mortality figures.
The implementation of inquiry recommendations and guidelines had shown to improve maternal health policies, procedures and practices and save the lives of mothers and their babies, he said.
He pointed out there was a steep rise in Caesarean section rates over the world with patients not fully understanding the risks involved. Since they might suffer complicated subsequent operative procedures, he urged senior doctors to be more actively involved in the management of high risk cases.
He added that the risks involved must be discussed and informed consent obtained and documented.

Health Ministry to take over new centre

Star: KUCHING: The Federal Government has agreed to take over the newly completed Sarawak International Medical Centre (SIMC) in Samarahan, near here.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the Health Ministry was now evaluating the centre’s buildings and facilities.
“An occupation permit has been obtained, and all the essential facilities are available to start operations.
“I will ensure that the Health Ministry will be able to operate the SIMC as a general hospital for the benefit of the people within the shortest possible time,” he added.

New strain of cholera found

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Those in Terengannu suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting should seek immediate medical attention, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
This, he added, was because of the outbreak in the state of a new strain of cholera that has already caused one death.
He said severe dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea would affect vital organs, especially the kidneys and if help was not sought quickly enough, the patient could die from organ failure.
“The current outbreak in Terengganu is caused by a new strain that is resistant to the antibiotics usually used to treat cholera.
“Although we can still treat it, we want those suffering from such symptoms to go to the nearest medical facility quickly to ensure early diagnosis,” Liow told a press conference after attending the National Food Safety and Dietary Council meeting and launching the Infants and Children’s feeding guidelines here yesterday.
Liow said there have been 174 confirmed cholera cases in the state since the outbreak on Nov 11 and it was suspected to have been due to food, especially ice-cubes, that was not hygienically prepared.
He said all those confirmed suffering from cholera were warded in hospitals and only allowed to return home if there was no trace of the bacteria in their faeces for three consecutive days. Hospitals in the state have so far discharged 33 of the patients.
“We have already dispatched a surveillance team to start conducting checks to identify the source of the problem and expect it to complete the task soon.
“We want to advise the people to observe good hygiene in food preparation, eat cooked food and avoid eating in shops where the cleanliness is questionable,” he said.
Liow also said the outbreak in Terengganu was not caused by the recent floods and did not involve any of those placed in various flood relief centres.

Go for regular dental check-ups, public urged

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Only six per cent of the 28 million population in Malaysia seek dental treatment and services with half of them being schoolchildren.
Health Ministry’s oral health director Datin Dr Norain Abu Talib said this was because Malaysians prefer to seek treatment when there was a pressing need and not as a preventive measure.
“It is common for Malaysians to visit the dentist when they have toothache. If they don’t have toothache, they don’t think they have any dental problems,” she said.
Dr Norain said this at a press conference after officiating at the 20th Scientific Convention and Trade Exhibition and the 41st Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners’ Association here yesterday.
“Six per cent is a very low number and more than half of that percentage is actually schoolchildren,” she said.
Although there was a shortage of dentists, she said the ministry was optimistic in resolving the problem.
Currently, the ratio is one dentist to every 7,800 Malaysians.
“We have targeted to achieve a ratio of one dentist to every 4,000 Malaysians by 2020 but with the 11 dentistry schools nationwide, we believe we can achieve the figure two years earlier than expected.”

Diabetes threat bigger than H1N1

Star: PETALING JAYA: The country is heading towards becoming a “sick nation” as far as diabetes is concerned, a health expert has cautioned.
“The (diabetes) situation is getting worse. It could get worse than H1N1 or AIDS if the people don’t do something about their health,” Malaysian Dia­betes Association president Prof Dr Ikram Shah Ismail said.
He said a National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006 showed a prevalence rate of 14.9% for those aged above 30, with a third of Malay­sians with diabetes not being aware of it.
The survey also estimated that about 70% of diabetics in the country had poor control over the disease.
About 95% to 98% of those affected have Type 2 diabetes, which is non-insulin dependent.
Dr Ikram said neglecting medication or continuing to indulge in sweet food like ice cream contributed to poor control of diabetes.
“And there are those who do not see the doctor regularly, so they don’t know what their control is like. The problem with diabetes is that those with a HbA1c reading of more than 10 do not show symptoms. They feel normal even if their blood glucose is high,” he added.
The ideal target for good control of diabetes is having a HbA1c (a blood test that provides the average of blood sugar control over a three-month period) reading of 6.5% or lower.
He said Malaysians were also getting diabetes at an earlier age.
“They are not healthy because they are not eating healthy food or exercising. Previously, although they had the genes, they did not get diabetes until they were much older,” he added.
Consultant endocrinologist Prof Datuk Dr Khalid Abdul Kadir, who is a professor of medicine at Monash University Malaysia, said the country’s increased prevalence rate was similar to that in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
He added the effects of the Govern­ment’s intervention programmes to promote a healthy lifestyle had not been evident.
Dr Khalid and a team of researchers are studying whether stress in­c­reases the risk of humans developing diabetes.
Tests conducted on rats by the team determined stress as a risk factor.
In Putrajaya, Dharminder Singh reported that Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the National Strategic Plan would be launched early next year to combat the rising number of cases of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular problems.
The plan was formulated after the National Health and Morbidity Sur­vey reported the percentage of obese Malaysians aged 18 and above had risen from 4.4% in 1996 to 14% just 10 years later while cases of diabetes among those aged 30 and above rose from 8.3% to over 14% during the same period.
He added that obesity was a worrying trend because it increased health risks.
Liow spoke to reporters after launching the “1Malaysia Brings Diabetes To Light Campaign” yesterday.

200,000 A(H1N1) vaccine doses for high-risk group

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 200,000 influenza A(H1N1) vaccine doses will be available for the high-risk groups, including pregnant women and those with chronic diseases by January.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the country had ordered a total of 400,000 influenza A (H1N1) vaccines, half of which would first be administered to frontliners like healthcare workers and civil servants.
“We are now identifying those in the high-risk groups and we should be able to provide them with the injection by January next year,” he told reporters here on Saturday after attending the Sara Lee-Tesco Anti-Aedes Campaign here.
He said research was being carried out now to incorporate the A(H1N1) vaccine into the seasonal flu vaccine.
“This kind of vaccine will give protection to all sorts of flu, including the H1N1 virus,” he said.
However, Liow said he was unsure when such vaccine would be available in the market as the research was still ongoing.
“Hopefully, we will get it by next year,” he said.

On dengue fever, Liow said there were 34,975 such cases with 75 deaths as of last Saturday.
“There is a drop of 10% in the number of such cases compared to 38,995 cases with 84 deaths during the same period last year,” he said.
He said Selangor recorded the highest number of dengue cases with 47% of 16,591 cases happened in the state.
“Currently, there are nine dengue hotspots in Selangor, of which two are in the Hulu Langat district,” he said.
He said some of these areas had been having the epidemic for more than two months and most of the breeding grounds were found at empty houses or students’ accommodation.
Liow said as part of the ministry’s effort to eliminate Aedes mosquitoes, it had launched the Anti-Aedes campaign to urge the public to spend at least 10 minutes a week to check their house and eradicate Aedes breeding.

Too few cadavers for organ harvesting, says Ismail

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The cadaveric donation rate in Malaysia is 0.97 to every one million of the population, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
“At this rate, in addition to the increase of patients with chronic diseases, the waiting period for donated organs has become too long.
“Furthermore, Malaysia is far behind in its organ donation rate at 0.97 as compared to developed countries such as Spain which has a rate of 34.3 donors per one million citizens and Singapore with 5.9,” he added.
“What’s more saddening is, there are patients who could not be saved as they had succumbed to their diseases while on the waiting list,” he said after opening the new National Transplant Resource Centre office in Wisma Sejarah at Jalan Tun Razak yesterday.
Dr Ismail said the ministry was taking steps to improve on the matter.
The centre will have 15 full-time ministry officers to help manage the service.
Previously, the centre operated at the main lobby of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital with only one officer in charge.
The centre was launched in 1997 to spread correct information and increase awareness on organ donation and transplantation in Malaysia.

Brace for new wave of H1N1

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The country should brace itself for a possible second wave of Influenza A(H1N1), after reports of the disease resurfacing in the Northern Hemisphere and an alert announced by the United States.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the surveillance teams set up when the first A(H1N1) cases appeared in Malaysia were still in place and were continuing to detect and monitor all cases of the flu.
He said thermal scanners at all entry points into the country were still operating, adding that he was confident the second wave would be quickly detected and control measures put in place if it were to hit the country.
Liow was speaking at a press conference after launching his ministry’s Innovation Day celebrations here yesterday.
However, the minister said the spread of the A(H1N1) virus has slowed tremendously over the last few months, from 400 to 500 cases a day to just between 20 and 30 cases a day now.
On the 1Malaysia Community Clinics announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during his 2010 budget speech, Liow said the ministry had already identified several locations for the 50 clinics to be opened nationwide in January next year.
He said the clinics would be run by medical assistants and offer outpatient services like dressings for wounds as well treatment for simple colds, coughs and headaches.
“There will be visiting doctors making rounds at the clinics and if the patients need more serious attention when the doctors are not around, they will be referred to the nearest private clinic,” he said.

Bowel cancer commonest in Malaysian men

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Bowel cancer is the most common form of cancer in Malaysian men, and the third commonest in women after breast and cervical cancers.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the increasing rate of large bowel cancer among Malaysians was due to people’s affluent and sedentary lifestyles and the lack of dietary fibres and physical activity.
He said other important risk factors of large bowel cancer included chronic inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal polyps and strong family history.
“About 13.8 per 100,000 Malaysians are likely to come down with large bowel cancer each year.
“This means that we can expect close to 3,900 cases of large bowel cancer each year from the country’s population of 28 million,” he told reporters after opening the Gastro-intestinal and Liver Diseases Symposium at Selayang Hospital near here yesterday.
He said 14.5% of all cancers reported among men from 2003 to 2005 were large bowel cancer while there were 9.9% reported cases among Malaysian women.
Among the reported cases, Chinese appeared to have the highest incidence of the disease, at 28.8 per 100,000 Malaysians, followed by Indians (9.9%) and Malays (7.1%), Liow said.
“Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment although there has been tremendous progress in terms of chemotherapy,” he added.
“Malaysians are advised to consume more vegetables and fruits in their diet and to be more active physically,” he said.
Currently, there are 18 gastroenterologists in 13 Health Ministry hospitals nationwide and another 13 doctors undergoing training in gastroenterology.
“Under the 10th Malaysian Plan, if the financial situation allows, we will be in a good position to strengthen our existing services and expand to the state hospitals like in Kangar, Penang, Kuantan and Kuching,” Liow said.
On Influenza A(H1N1), he said there were 20 to 30 cases now with five patients in the intensive care unit.
“It is still a serious issue,” he said, adding that the first batch of vaccine would arrive soon.

A(H1N1): Malaysia to get 78,000 doses of vaccine soon

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will receive 78,000 doses of the of the 400,000 doses of anti-H1N1 vaccine ordered from Britain for frontliners in healthcare and high-risk group end of this month, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Monday.
The balance vaccine would be received by January next year, he added.
He said although the spread of the disease in the country was still under control, the situation should not be taken lightly with the United States President, Barack Obama, having declared H1N1 a national emergency in the America two days ago.
Liow said Malaysia should be prepared to face the possibility of a second wave of the H1N1, expected end of this year.
"Of course the number of H1N1 patients warded in ICU is decreasing and the death caused by the pandemic is still at 77, but this is not the end, we have to be more cautious and alert to face a second wave of H1N1 which is expected at the end of this year," he told reporters after opening a seminar on "Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases" at Selayang Hospital.
He also said the spread of the virus was still active in the country and advised the public to take the necessary precautions.

Govt hospitals in three states to use complementary treatment

Star: KUCHING: Treatment using traditional and complementary medicine will be available at government hospitals in Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu soon.
This follows the Health Ministry’s decision to extend the integrative medicine programme to the three states.
The ministry’s Traditional and Complementary Medicine division senior officer Jaafar Lassa said the extension to one hospital each in the three states was due to an overwhelming response to the programme that was launched three years ago.
“There is sufficient evidence to suggest that traditional and complementary medicine is safe, and able to benefit patients,” he said at the two-day inaugural Malaysia International Medicine Congress which ended, here, yesterday.
“Such medicine has long had a profound impact on human medical history.”
More than 500 local and foreign participants attended the event organised by the Chung Hua Tradi-tional Chinese Medicine Study and Research Society of Malaysia.
Traditional and complementary medicine treatment is now available at the Kepala Batas Hospital in Butterworth, Penang, Johor’s Sultan Ismail Hospital and the Putrajaya Hospital.
Jaafar said the traditional and complementary medicine field should be given recognition and support to enable it to develop and expand, and offer holistic therapy.
He said the ministry had drafted a list of standards and criteria to promote education and training in the field.

RM14mil for A(H1N1) vaccine

Star: PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry is spending RM14mil to purchase 400,000 doses of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine.
The first batch of 40,000 doses would arrive by the end of this month, said minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Speaking to reporters after opening GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Global IT Centre yesterday, he said the ministry decided to purchase the vaccine from GSK as the company could meet the earliest delivery time.
Some firms could only provide the vaccine in mid-2010, he said, adding that the ministry had yet to fix the selling price per dose for the vaccine.
He had also noted previously that the vaccine would be for frontliners first such as health workers, the police and immigration staff.
Liow stressed that the public must take precautionary measures although H1N1 cases were on the decline and no deaths had been reported since Sept 16. The outbreak, he said, was still at Level 6.
Yesterday, 152 patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) were admitted nationwide while 146 people had been discharged.
Out of the 666 cases in hospital, only 4% or 27 are confirmed H1N1 cases.

Ministry restricts sale of imported dried fruits due to high lead content

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The sale of 18 types of dried plum and prune from China, Taiwan and other Asian countries has been restricted by the Health Ministry after high degrees of lead was detected.
The foodstuff - known as asam or jeruk in Malay and kiam sui tee (salty, sour and sweet) in Hokkien which are immensely popular as tidbits among Malaysians - has been put on Level 5 alert by the ministry’s Food Safety and Quality Division under its Food Information System of Malaysia.
This means that the division would hold the products for testing and would only release them for sale if they pass the test.
The highest alert level of 6 involves an immediate rejection of a product.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said for the moment, dried fruit products by other manufacturers and distributors would be permitted to be sold locally.
“If these 18 products are found in the local market, they will be seized and sampled for lead analysis,” he told reporters after launching the ministry’s management conference here yesterday.
Lead, in cumulative amounts over time, causes nervous system disorders and distorts brain development, especially in children.
Liow said the monitoring began following a US Food and Drug Administration report on Oct 1 that alerted consumers over the dried fruit sold by the 15 manufacturers due to lead contamination.
“If a product by a manufacturer or distributor is found to contain more than the permitted two parts per million (ppm), legal action will be taken under the Food Regulations 1985,” Liow said.
The 18 products apparently had lead levels of up to 30 ppm.
Asked if any of the 18 products were being sold locally, the minister said the division was checking on this.
Meanwhile, Liow announced that former International Trade and Industry Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Ooi Say Chuan had been appointed Malaysian Health Tourism Council chief executive officer.
He said the council, to be launched in December by the Prime Minister, would focus on consolidating private and Government efforts in promoting Malaysia as a health tourism destination.

Cervical cancer vaccination: Up to parents

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Parents will be given a choice to allow their daughters to be given anti-cervical cancer vaccination that will begin next year for secondary schools girls aged 13.
Those who agree need to sign a letter of consent, said Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom when contacted regarding the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination programme that was announced by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai recently.
Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman, director of the disease control division at the Health Ministry, comfirmed that vaccination will only be given after getting the consent of parents.
The move is to contain cervical cancer that is the second most common cancer among women in Malaysia, after breast cancer, with 1,500 new cases each year.
“The ministry is still waiting for further directives from the Health Ministry regarding the vaccinations. We are ready to cooperate with the Health Ministry in implementation,” Alimuddin said.
Alimuddin said the ministry had not received any complaint or objection from any quarter regarding the Health Ministry’s suggestion.
“From feedback we have received many Parent-Teacher Associations and parents agree with the vaccination, and we believe the Health Ministry will study the best medicine available before implementation,” he said. Honorary advisor to the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) Datuk Zuraidah Atan supports the programme as a preventive measure.
“However, the decision by the schools to implement the vaccination programme depends on the parents. If they are aware of the importance of the vaccination as protection for their children, they should continue with it,” she said.
“For NCSM, we support fully the Health Ministry’s action to have the vaccination programme at 13 years of age. I’m sure the ministry had thought of the process before intending to implement it and the programme is really good, especially for rural students, who mostly cannot afford it,” she said.
Dr Hasan said that the decision to introduce the HPV Vaccination Programme for girls as young as 13 years old was made as that age group produced better immune response compared with those in older age groups.
At that age the girls are considered to be still naive to the HPV infection and are free from the disease, he said.
He said the Health Ministry has also had “a secondary prevention programme” since 1969, the PAP Smear Screening Programme, to help detect cancer, but the response has not been satisfactory.
“The acceptance rate is however not very encouraging as shown by the National Health Morbidity Survey III (2006) which indicates that only 43.3% of women aged 18 and above ever had a PAP Smear.
“The Penang Cancer Registry Report 2004 has also reported that 75% of cervical cancer cases are detected at late stages,” he said.
He said based on research done by Prof S. AlJunid of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, results showed that prevention of cervical cancer by vaccination was cost effective.
It was estimated that the cost of three vaccination doses was RM400 compared with RM235,000 for a lifetime of treatment for cervical cancer.
“Thus it would cost approximately RM360mil to treat 1,500 newly diagnosed cervical cancer cases every year,” said Dr Hasan.
Dr Hasan said many factors contributed to the onset of cervical cancer, usually closely related to HPV infection, and the risk of getting infected got higher with increased sexual activity.
He said the impact from HPV vaccination can only be seen in the long run, between 15 and 20 years, as benefits from the vaccination will reduce any side effects as well as prevent premature deaths among women who were in their productive years.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated the 13 types of HPV could trigger cervical cancer with HPV types 16 and 18 causing 70% of cases.
Dr Hasan said the estimate was consistent with the situation in Malaysia where 74% of cases were caused by those two types of HPV.
On the death of a teenaged girl in Britain after being vaccinated, Dr Hasan said: “There is no increase in the rate of the documented adverse events reported due to HPV vaccine.
“There was also no convincing evidence between HPV vaccination and the deaths reported,” he said.

PD Hospital to offer TCM services soon

Star: PORT DICKSON: The Port Dickson Hospital will be the country’s fourth to offer traditional complementary medicine (TCM) services, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
“The unit will be set up soon. In fact, I will be visiting the hospital on Friday, and I will be able to tell you more in detail,” he said when met at the MCA operations centre here yesterday.
Liow said the ministry will also help train more practitioners in TCM, adding that he was glad to note that the Higher Education Ministry had given approval to three local universities to offer TCM diploma and degree programmes.
Asked if he was confident that the Chinese would support Barisan Nasional in Sunday’s Bagan Pinang by-election, Liow said recent trends suggested so.
“The party has put me in charge of the Teluk Kemang area where there are some 752 Chinese voters. From my conversations with them, I am confident they are supportive of Barisan,” he said.
Liow said the party has been getting plenty of support from young voters, adding that this was made possible by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s government giving priority to the needs of the rakyat.
On issues raised by the people, Liow said these centred mostly around the need for better basic amenities and infrastructure.

Health warning on traditional medicine capsule

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has advised the public against buying and using Senna Plus Capsule 400mg after the Drug Control Authority (DCA) cancelled the registration of the traditional product.
The DCA said the capsule (labelled MAL06100616TC) contains a scheduled poison.
The ministry’s Pharmacy Services senior director Eisah Abdul Rahman said the DCA had cancelled the registration of the product following the detection of the scheduled poison Sibutramine, which is not allowed for use in traditional products.
The product registration holder for the Senna Plus Capsule 400mg is Winson Health Product Marketing and the manufacturer is TST Packaging Sdn Bhd, she said.
She said there were certain products containing Sibutramine that were registered with the DCA but these had been evaluated for their safety, efficacy and quality.
Furthermore, those products can only be supplied by doctors or obtained from pharmacies with a prescription.
“The public should not use traditional products containing the scheduled poison without consulting a doctor because its use without proper diagnosis and monitoring could cause serious adverse events such as high-blood pressure and other cardio-vascular effects.
“The products can have detrimental effects on consumers in the high-risk category,” she said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Eisah said the ministry was also calling on anyone possessing the product to immediately cease its sale, distribution or use.
She said possession for sale of the product was an offence under the Controlled Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984, which carries a fine of up to RM25,000, three years’ jail or both for the first offence, and a fine of up to RM50,000, five years’ jail or both for subsequent offences.
Companies face a fine of up to RM50,000 for the first offence and a maximum fine of RM100,000 for subsequent offences, she said.

No evidence to back LBA’s effectiveness, says Health D-G

Star: PETALING JAYA: The public has been urged not to be easily duped by those who make claims about live blood analysis (LBA) test and other non-evidence based therapies not endorsed by the Health Ministry.
Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said in a press statement said although the test itself appeared harmless, the Ministry was very concerned about the implications of managing a patient based solely on LBA findings as it may be detrimental to one’s health.
His statement was in response to Monday’s Starprobe report on LBA scams
The LBA, also called nutritional blood analysis or live cell analysis, is a test where practitioners claim they could diagnose a host of illnesses including vitamin deficiencies, infections and even cancer by observing the abnormalities in a drop of blood.
They then proceed to persuade customers to buy nutritional supplements or undergo alternative therapies.
“Live blood analysis is not a valid test as there is no scientific evidence to support the claims made,” he said.
On whether an LBA test can be considered valid when a medical doctor performs it, Dr Ismail said: “There is no scientific basis for the technique and hence even if it is carried out by a medical doctor it is still not valid. No doctor should carry out such a test.”
He said the Ministry’s health technology assessment unit had completed its assessment on LBA and found no evidence to support its effectiveness.
“Furthermore, some evidence has shown that the LBA lacked diagnostic accuracy and reliability,” he said.
Dr Ismail also said that the ministry had received some complaints about the test from patients and medical doctors and was investigating the matter.
He noted that LBA tests were mostly carried out by practitioners of traditional and complementary medicine, especially those who practised naturopathy.
He said that the ministry’s traditional and complementary medicine division and medical practice division had inspected a naturopathy practitioner’s premises in July and advised him against performing LBA tests.

Health Ministry awaits report from British govt

Star: BENTONG: The public should not jump into conclusions over the death of a girl in Britain after she was vaccinated against cervical cancer.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysian authorities were awaiting feedback from the British government and other parties, including the pharmaceutical company which produced the vaccine.
“We want to look at the report first to find out the cause of the girl’s death.
“We cannot say that the girl’s death was caused by the vaccination process,” he said, adding that the ministry would carry out its planned vaccination programmed against cervical cancer through strict and controlled measures.
Liow said the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has been carried out in many countries and proven to be very effective in preventing cervical cancer.
“The vaccine is safe and, according to our knowledge, only a very small percentage of one million people who undergo vaccination suffer minute side effects,” he said, after launching The Star SPM Workshop Series 2009 here yesterday.
The British girl reportedly fell ill after receiving the vaccine at her school in Coventry.
Health authorities there said no link could be made between the death and the vaccine until a post-mortem was conducted.
The ministry recently announced that the Government would offer the vaccination to girls aged 12 to 13 to prevent cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women in Malaysia.
In Putrajaya, disease control division director Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said the ministry’s decision to introduce the vaccination to girls in this age group was because they produced better immune response compared than older girls, and assumed to be free of the HPV infection.
“Nevertheless, the vaccination will be administered only with written consent from the parents,” he said yesterday.
On influenza A(H1N1), Liow said no new deaths were reported yesterday, adding that fatalities from the virus remained at 77.
He said 18 people were still being treated at the intensive care units.
In Kuala Lumpur, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican reminded people that the spread of the virus was still prevalent, although there was a reduction of cases recently.

More Malaysians below 40 at risk of heart disease

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: More young Malaysians below 40 are at risk of getting heart attacks due to poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle, according to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre cardiology unit head Assoc Prof Dr Oteh Maskon.
He attributed this to the craving for teh tarik, roti canai, nasi lemak, smoking, and lack of exercise.
“They are at risk of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes which could lead to heart ailments”, he told reporters after attending a public forum on heart disease at the centre here today.
Dr Oteh said 5% of the 450 patients admitted to the centre for the past one year was below 40 and most of them were diagnosed with high blood and diabetes.
He said the youngest heart patient at the centre was a 23-year-old male with metabolic syndrome and a family history of heart disease while a simple heart surgery was conducted on a 29-year-old male.
“We also had a 38-year-old female with three arteries blockages and who was also a diabetic. This is shocking as women are hardly known to have heart disease at that age,” he said.
He said family history of heart disease accounted for 10% of heart patients admitted to the medical centre.
“A healthy lifestyle and intake of a balance diet must start at a young age. Avoid smoking and exercise regularly.
“Go for periodical medical checkups so that early treatment can be administered if you are diagnosed with heart problems,” he said, adding that a number of sudden deaths occurred in heart patients before they could be given initial treatment.
Opened by the centre’s dean and director Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Saim, the forum was held in conjunction with the 12th Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Conference Malaysia.

Better treatment for A(H1N1) patients considered

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Improved methods against the A(H1N1) virus, particularly those applied successfully by other countries, would be used to treat patients here.
Mainland China and Hong Kong, for instance, were using serum or plasma from patients who recovered from the infection on patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.
“We will look at the methods used by other countries and upgrade our treatment methods,” he said here yesterday.
Currently the ministry uses anti-virals and immunoglobin to treat the influenza patients.
Liow had just returned from the World Health Organisation Western Pacific regional meeting where various countries shared their views on influenza A(H1N1) treatment.
At the meeting, WHO officials also alerted participants to a second wave of the pandemic that was likely to hit the world and reminded people to be vigilant.
On some studies by Canadian scientists that seasonal flu shots might increase the risk of catching influenza A(H1N1), Liow said it was just a preliminary study and the ministry would monitor the situation.
As of yesterday, there were no deaths from influenza A(H1N1) in Malaysia and the totoal number of fatalities remained at 77.
Liow said there were no new admissions to intensive care units while four cases were discharged yesterday.
There were 135 new cases with influenza-like illness (ILI) warded in hospitals nationwide while 108 were discharged, leaving the total at 704.
Of the total ILI patients still under treatment, 184 or 26% were confirmed H1N1 cases.
The latest information on H1N1 infection can be obtained by calling the hotline 03-88810200 or 03-88810300 from 8am to 5pm, e-mail at cprc_h1n1@moh.gov.my and on the ministry’s website at http://www.moh.gov.my
In MALACCA, Liow said the decision by WHO to set up its first regional centre in Cyberjaya was a recognition of the country’s role in the global health arena.

Cervical cancer vaccinations for all girls

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will provide annual HPV vaccination against cervical or cervix cancer to all 300,000 13-year-old girls in Malaysia beginning next year.
The vaccinations will cost the Government RM150mil annually, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said on Friday.
In July, Liow said his ministry was conducting a preliminary study on the impact of providing HPV (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine) for 12-13-year-old girls, as well as the economic and financial constraint on the Government.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the HPV could help to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by at least 70%.
Cervical cancer was the second most common cancer among women in Malaysia after breast cancer, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said in July.
Each day, an average of four women are diagnosed with it.

Death rate within ‘normal range’

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The death rate due to Influenza A(H1N1) in the country is within a normal range, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said a WHO team that was in Malaysia recently also praised the country’s efficiency in detecting and treating influenza cases.
As of yesterday, the death toll from the flu remained at 73 with no new deaths reported for six consecutive days.
“Nevertheless, we will not let our guard down and the public should also not do so, particularly with Hari Raya Aidilfitri around the corner when people will be travelling and congregating to celebrate,” he said after witnessing the signing of the sales and purchase agreement for the Sabah Medical Centre building yesterday.
Liow said the WHO team, here to look into the mortality rate involving the disease, had deduced that the surveillance system set up by the ministry was “sensitive” and capable of detecting cases.
The team, he said, also noted that the infection rate in the country was declining.
“I presented the team’s observation, especially on how fast we are at treating those with ILI (influenza-like illness) symptoms to the Cabinet today.
“We will continue to upgrade our surveillance system so that patients suffering from the flu can be treated faster,” the minister said.
On the purchase of the SMC building for RM280mil, Liow said the Government had to acquire the building to overcome shortage of medical facilities in Sabah following the closure of Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s main block and podium which had been declared unsafe.
He said a further RM90mil would be spent to renovate the building and to upgrade its facilities, including increasing the number of beds from 171 to 455.
“With the purchase, the problem could be solve expeditiously and with minimal effect on the public seeking medical treatment.
“The renovation is expected to take only six months while constructing a new hospital will take three to five years,” he said.
Liow said the purchase of the SMC building would also allow the ministry to offer new and extensive treatments including cardiology, cardiothorasic surgery, oncology, radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging.
“This is not the end of our efforts to provide Sabahans with quality medical facilities. We are also in the final stage of planning for the construction of a new twin-tower block at the present Queen Elizabeth Hospital site which has a capacity of 660 beds,” he added.
The agreement was signed by Land and Mines director-general Datuk Abd Halim Ain in his capacity as the Federal Land Commissioner and SMC chairman Dr Tseu Fui Loong.

‘Champion docs’ to share advice on treating A(H1N1)

Star: PETALING JAYA: The Government has appointed 15 senior clinicians to advise other doctors on the appropriate treatment for Influenza A(H1N1).
Dubbed “champion doctors”, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said there would be one from each state and federal territories to advise private and government hospitals that treated flu patients, especially those in the intensive care unit (ICU).
The chosen clinicians are those experienced in treating the virus.
Liow said they were tasked by the ministry to visit hospitals to advise other doctors on the proper treatment procedures and techniques.
More “champion doctors” will be identified and appointed later.
“They will be making the rounds at the hospitals in their respective states,” he told a press conference after a media workshop on the virus yesterday.
“They will also be interacting with the public and local community leaders to get feedback on the ground.”
He added that the measure was to focus on effective treatment of ICU patients because the ministry noticed that some were prone to contracting secondary infections even after they had recovered from the primary A(H1N1) infection.
“These patients must be treated quickly,” he said.
He said the ministry would continue to adjust measures to handle A(H1N1) patients effectively.
As an added measure, Liow said the Government also needed more private companies to carry out their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to raise awareness on preventing infection from the virus.
He also advised the public to be more vigilant during the Hari Raya balik kampung exodus and to be hygienic to prevent its spread.
This was because the ministry was concerned there might be a sharp increase of cases during the festive season.
Liow also suggested that transport operators place hand sanitisers in strategic places for the public to use.

Many still clueless about H1N1, says D-G

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Many people are still unclear about Influenza A(H1N1) symptoms despite the aggressive awareness campaign by the media and health authorities, said Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
He said judging from calls received by the ministry’s hotlines, many people were still unaware that the A(H1N1) symptoms were fever, cough, headache, pain in joints or body aches, cold, sore throat and breathing difficulty.
“We still get many calls asking for the symptoms,” he said.
Dr Ismail said the five preventive measures the public should take on A(H1N1) are:
> cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing
> maintain good personal hygiene by constantly washing hands,
> stay away from individuals with influenza-like illness (ILI)
> avoid crowded places, and
> parents with young children should stay away from public places.
Dr Ismail said no new deaths had been recorded over the past 24 hours, adding that the death toll remained at 73.

Flu death toll rises to 73

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Health authorities have confirmed another death due to Influenza A(H1N1), bringing the death toll to 73.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the 25-year-old woman from Betong, Sarawak, was admitted to the district hospital on Sunday with fever, cough and sore throat and had previously sought treatment for a similar illness from the same hospital.
“On Aug 31, she was referred to the Sibu Hospital for further treatment where anti-viral treatment was given to the patient. She died the next day due to severe pneumonia with H1N1 infection,” he said yesterday.
He added that laboratory test results confirmed that the victim had been infected with the H1N1 virus.
Dr Ismail said 266 new patients with influenza-like illness had been admitted to hospitals while 293 patients were discharged.
There are 1,211 patients being treated in hospitals nationwide, including in 11 private hospitals, and 230 are confirmed H1N1 patients.
Dr Ismail said there were 41 cases in the intensive care units, including five new admissions.
He said the ministry was concerned about people who continued to frequent public places despite having cough, sore throat and fever when they should be staying indoors.
“They should only go out if necessary and not go shopping or patronise entertainment outlets and attend gatherings. Even when it is crucial for them to leave the house, they must put on a face mask.
“It seems that many are still unaware of how the virus is spread –which is through fluids when talking, coughing or sneezing. The public should also keep their distance from people who are ill,” he added.

Liow: Make smaller masks

Star: KLANG: Manufacturers of masks have been urged to consider making smaller masks for children in addition to the standard ones.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the standard-sized masks, which come with elastic bands to hold them in place, were too big and loose for children.
“It won’t be effective if they are loose,” Liow told reporters after handing over boxes of surgical masks to schools in the Klang parliamentary constituency.
He also briefed teachers and students about the Influenza A(H1N1) at the event at the SJK (C) Pandamaran A yesterday.
He said it was important for schoolchildren to take preventative measures because if the infections occurred in schools, the outbreak would be rapid.
Liow also said it was the collective responsibility of all teachers and principals to examine their students to detect if they had fever, adding that if they did, they should be sent home.
Teachers, he said, should be on high alert at all times to identify pupils who were not well.
He said the country was well prepared in tackling the outbreak, pointing out that the Government allocated some RM158mil to strengthen and instill the necessary measures to counter the pandemic.
Malaysians were told to take all the necessary precautions as the World Health Organisation had given six months to a year for the pandemic to subside.
Meanwhile, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the authorities were in the midst of determining if three deaths reported in Negri Sembilan on Sunday were due to Influenza A(H1N1).
“The cases, involving victims aged between 24 and 42, have been forwarded to the Mortality Review Committee. The committee will announce its findings as soon as possible,” he said yesterday.
Currently, the death toll stands at 72.
Dr Ismail said 278 new patients had been warded for influenza-like illness (ILI) over the past one day.
He also said that a total of 1,373 patients were being treated for ILI nationwide and of the number, only 193 people were confirmed to have been infected with Influenza A(H1N1) and 43 of them were being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.