Stricter H1N1 measures

Star: PETALING JAYA: Screening for influenza A (H1N1) at the country’s entry points will be stepped up as Malaysian students return from Australia, United States and Europe for their winter and summer breaks.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican urged students who had symptoms of the influenza to postpone their trip home.
“They should seek treatment and recover before travelling,” he said in a statement yesterday.
All three areas, which have a high number of Malaysian students, are seriously affected by the influenza.
Australia, with about 20,000 Malaysian students, is the worst hit country outside the Americas.
The worst affected state is Victoria where there are more than 5,800 Malaysian students in nine institutes of higher learning and many are expected to return home for the winter which will start soon.
Dr Ismail also urged those who have returned to Malaysia from affected countries to immediately seek medical attention if they had symptoms of the flu within seven days.
“They should also limit their movements,” he added.
The Foreign Ministry has also advised Malaysians to consider deferring non-essential travel to affected countries.
Travellers are also advised to practise a high standard of personal hygiene by avoiding contact with affected persons, using facial mask and using detergent, water or alcohol to clean their hands.
“The ministry is not banning Malaysians from travelling abroad but urging travellers to be more vigilant,” it said in a statement yesterday.
Dr Ismail, meanwhile, said another A (H1N1) flu case had been confirmed in the country, bringing the total number to 12.
The latest is a 19-year-old medical student who returned from Melbourne after a 17-day holiday.
He said the student returned with three friends on flight MH148 from Melbourne which arrived at the KL International Airport at 9.21pm on Wednesday.
“The student was not ill when at KLIA,” he said without revealing the student’s gender.
Dr Ismail said the student began to fall ill on Thursday and was treated at the University Malaya Medical Centre before being referred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital isolation ward at 5.30pm on the same day.
Tests showed that the student had the A (H1N1) virus.
“At this time, the student’s condition is stable. The student’s parents, who do not live together, are under home quarantine.
“The ministry has also identified five friends whom the student had come into contact with for further quarantine,” Dr Ismail said.
He added that the ministry was tracking down those who were on MH148, especially those seated from rows 33 to 39.

Experts urge vigilance to curb spread of flu infections

Star: PETALING JAYA: Travel if you must, but take all necessary precautions to minimise the risk of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
While the authorities have called for calm and stepped up preventive measures, the people must play their part by seeking medical help if they develop flu-like symptoms.
Consultant infectious diseases physician and Global Hygiene Council member Dr Christopher Lee urged those who have travelled to countries with documented A(H1N1) infections to be vigilant.
“Seek medical attention immediately if you develop flu-like symptoms within seven days of return. These practical measures can make a significant difference in slowing down the spread of A(H1N1). The public has a big role to play,” he said.
Since the World Health Organisation declared A(H1N1) a pandemic last Thursday, Universiti Malaya senior research fellow and virologist Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit said the decision to travel during this period rested with the individual. “However, travelling should be on a need-to basis,” he said.
“Going on holidays means moving in crowded places, making many new friends and many more handshakes. At Level Six (of the WHO alert), we should really review our activities.”
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr David Quek said there was no need to be overly anxious, “but everyone should remain on high alert”.
“We cannot arrest the entry of this disease into our country, but we can try to ameliorate its penetration and its more serious consequences.”
According to Dr Quek, the fatality rate for A(H1N1) is 1 in every 200 infected.
Countries identified by WHO to have had A(H1N1) community transmissions are the United States, Britain, Spain, Japan and Australia. But more countries, even those in South-East Asia, are joining the list.
Malaysia is bracing for the return of students from Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, for their mid-term winter break (three to four weeks) at the end of the month.
Melbourne has been dubbed “swine flu capital of the world”, with a tally of affected people above 1,000 last week.
According to Wisma Putra, there are more than 5,800 Malaysians studying at nine universities in Victoria.
Malaysia recorded its 12th confirmed A(H1N1) case after a student who returned from Melbourne on Wednesday was found to be infected with the virus. The 10th case was a 17-year-old girl who returned from a holiday in Melbourne on June 9.

Stricter H1N1 measures as WHO declares pandemic

Star: PETALING JAYA: More drastic measures including greater screening at entry points into the country will kick in with the declaration of a pandemic for influenza A(H1N1), said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Other measures included taking passengers’ temperatures before disembarkation and controlling human traffic from an affected township or village, he said.
He said the ministry would be drawing up a plan to prepare Malaysia for a possible Level Six scenario.
He said ministry officials would also be visiting hospitals and clinics to inform healthcare workers and general practitioners to be prepared and to be on high alert. “The people have to be on high alert. be cautious and follow the ministry’s instructions,” he said.
However, Liow said there was no need to postpone or cancel travel plans as the World Health Organisation (WHO) had not given instructions for border closures.
He said the next step following the declaration of the pandemic was to initiate the National Inter-Ministerial Influenza Pandemic Committee, which will meet next week. Joint regional measures would also be undertaken, he said.
Under the WHO definition, the pandemic – the first since the Mexico Flu in 1968 – meant that the A(H1N1) was spreading from human to human in more than one region.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the country would have to look at more stringent measures to contain the outbreak.
“At Level Six, we cannot be doing the same as before,” he said, adding that he would be calling for a press conference today on the matter.
Level Six is WHO’s alert level for a pandemic and is the highest alert level it can issue.
Liow also announced that two more cases of influenza A (H1N1) had been confirmed in Malaysia, bringing the total to 11.
The 10th patient is a 17-year-old girl who returned from a holiday in Melbourne on June 9.
She arrived at KL International Airport on Malaysia Airlines MH148 (seat 14A) at 7.30pm and was immediately referred to the Sungai Buloh Hospital after she was found to have a fever of 38.5°C, cough and sore throat. Test results returned positive the following day. The girl is receiving anti-viral treatment and is in stable condition.
The 11th patient is a 41-year-old woman who returned from Manila via Singapore Airlines SQ192 on June 6. Her flight made a transit stop in Singapore before landing in Penang.
She started showing flu symptoms on June 9 and was warded at the Penang General Hospital the following day. At 9am yesterday, her test results returned positive.
Liow said 178 people were still under home quarantine after being in contact with some of the patients. None of them have shown flu symptoms.

Health warning against four traditional products

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry today advised the public to avoid buying or using four traditional products that contain the chemical substance Sibutramine, Aminotadalafil, Diphenhydramine and Paracetamol.
The ministry's pharmacy services division director Eisah Abdul Rahman said the four products were "Bodybeaus", "Jinglida", "Eng Leong Cordyceps Chuanbei Plus Cough Pill 3.5gm", and "Loong Choo Brand Reh Bih Ho Herbal Tea".
"Their product registration has been cancelled by the Drug Control Authority because they were detected to contain ingredients not allowed to be formulated in a traditional product," she said in a statement here today.
Eisah said there were pharmaceutical products containing Sibutramine, Tadalafil, Diphenhydramine and Paracetamol that were registered with the DCA and had been evaluated for their safety, efficacy and quality.
"However these products except Paracetamol can only be prescribed by doctors and pharmacists.
"The use of these products without proper diagnosis and monitoring by a doctor can cause serious adverse effects. For instance, Sibutramine can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular effects and Tadalafil can cause low blood pressure and other cardiovascular effects.
"The use of Diphenhydramine without control may cause the user to experience adverse reactions such as low blood pressure, other cardiovascular effects, sedation, tiredness, disturbed coordination, confusion and blurred vision," she said.
Eisah said Paracetamol could be used for self-medication but a user who was alreadying taking Paracetamol might overdose on it if the traditional product did not declare it contain the drug.
"Since the quality and safety of these products that are available in the market are not guaranteed by DCA, the public is advised to avoid these products.
"Anyone who is possession of these products is advised to immediately cease selling, distributing and using it.
"Retailers are reminded that possession for sale of these products is an offence under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984," she said.
Eisah said anyone found guilty could be fined up to RM25,000 or a jail sentence not exceeding three years or both for the first offence and for subsequent offence, a fine up to a maximum of RM50,000 or a jail sentence not exceeding five years or both.
A company found guilty can be fined up to RM50,000 for the first offence and fined up to a maximum of RM100,000 for subsequent offence.

Two more influenza A (H1N1) cases

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Two more influenza A(H1N1) cases have been confirmed, raising the total number in the country to nine patients.
Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the eighth patient was a 17-year-old American student on board a MH91 flight from Newark, United States, which arrived at KL International Airport on Monday.
"The ninth patient is a New Zealander who was on the AirAsia Dx7 2723 last Friday - the same flight as the Australian student confirmed earlier with the disease.
"She then continued her journey to Penang on board MH1138 and arrived there at 10.15am," he said.

Billions in medicine wasted

NST: KUANTAN: More than half of the RM2.2 billion worth of medicine prescribed by government doctors and pharmacists get thrown away every year.
This shocking revelation was made yesterday by International Islamic University (IIU) deputy rector (academic and research) Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Tahir Azhar.
He said there was too much wastage of medicine by patients.
"Many patients do not follow the prescription or throw away the medicine when they assume that they have recovered."
He said this money could be saved if there was a better pharmaceutical care service.
He was speaking at the Pharmaceutical Care Workshop organised by the university at its branch campus here. It was opened by Health Ministry Pharmaceutical Services deputy director Zawiyah Mat Johor.
Dr Tahir said the role of community pharmacists was important as they could educate patients on the importance of the medicine prescribed to them.
"Pharmacists can do follow-up and advise patients on the medicine."
Dr Tahir said IIU was cooperating with the Health Ministry to find the best system of community phamarceutical care.
"We are looking at the systems being practised in developed countries, particularly in Australia."
Professor Patrick Ball of Charles Stuart University, Australia, said many patients did not take their medicine once they were free of the active symptoms.
He said some people, for example diabetes patients, needed to continue with their medication even if they did not show any symptoms.
He urged health professionals, particularly doctors and pharmacists, to work together.
IIU school of pharmacy dean Professor Datuk Dr Tariq Abdul Razak said the university's pharmacy students were being groomed to deal with the public.
"This is part of our preparation for community pharmaceutical services as the students have to serve the government for a few years after they graduate."

Doctors heading east may get study grants

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Doctors who volunteer to serve in Sabah and Sarawak where there is an acute shortage of medical personnel will be given postgraduate (specialist) scholarships.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this at the Malaysian Medical Association's (MMA) annual banquet held in conjunction with the 49th Malaysian Medical Association annual meeting last week. He also assured doctors of regular promotions for all government medical practitioners.
MMA president Dr David Quek said the minister also informed their members that the government hoped to achieve the ratio of one doctor to 600 people throughout the country by 2015.
As of Dec 31 last year, there were 25,000 doctors in Malaysia -- 15,000 in government service and 10,000 in the private sector.
To ease the shortage of doctors in the rural areas, the government might soon invite private clinic doctors to serve for certain hours in government clinics, said Dr Quek.
He said the ministry would liaise closely with the MMA to resolve doctors' problems.
On companies dealing with medical insurance cards, he said they would not be allowed to check clinic case notes and inspect the clinic dispensary.
"They should not charge for their services."
As for limiting consultants' fees to RM15, he said it was too low. He added that these companies should not restrict referral of special cases only to certain private hospitals.

Flying doctor service for remote areas

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Every day, if weather permits, two helicopters fly medical personnel into remote villages in Sabah to render medical aid to those in need.
These are villages which are not accessible by road or river.
Sabah Health director Dr Marzukhi Md Isa said the medical team flew in to around 30 such remote villages.
A medical evacuation helicopter also ferries patients who need to be flown to the nearest government hospital, he told the New Straits Times.
The medical team conducts antenatal checks once a month and hopes to increase the frequency soon.
In Sabah, there are 291 health centres, 23 hospitals and 227 klinik desa (rural clinics).
Dr Marzukhi said 59 per cent of the 3.1 million population in the state lived in remote and rural areas and the majority had access to government health facilities, at least within a seven-km range.
"We do have local non-governmental organisations such as the Rotary Club, Malaysian Red Crescent Society and St John Ambulance helping us to carry out health camps in the remote areas."
He said the department also welcomed teams from Peninsular Malaysia who wanted to provide medical assistance to these people.
"Those who come to Sabah always seek our cooperation and all health activities are done jointly," he said, adding that most of these activities with NGOs were conducted on weekends.
Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) 2006-2010, the Health Ministry continues to be the leading agency and main provider of health services with a budget allocation of RM10.2 billion.
Of this amount, RM3.3 billion goes to public healthcare, RM5.4 billion to patient care services, including building new hospitals and renovation works on existing ones, while RM1.3 billion is spent on other healthcare services, which also includes the training of staff.
In the 9MP, the government is aiming for a more equal distribution of healthcare services between urban and rural areas, said Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
According to the International Health Organisation, Malaysia has one of the best rural health services in the world.
The goal is to have a clinic within every five-km radius, which has already been achieved in most of the peninsular.
And more than 95 per cent of the rural population have access to a doctor.
Every Malaysian has access to good primary healthcare, with 2,965 clinics nationwide as well as 151 mobile clinics in rural areas.
The ministry has, in fact, achieved its target ratio of clinics to population.
There is one clinic or centre for every 20,000 people while there is one community or rural clinic for every 4,000 people.
Services at the clinics cover family health, dentistry, nutrition and dietetics, health education and promotion, home nursing, care of the elderly, rehabilitation, environmental sanitation, adolescent health and community mental health.
Dr Ismail said primary healthcare was the main thrust, supported by secondary and tertiary healthcare.
Since specialists are not available at community and rural clinics, the ministry has come up with a system to make sure that the rural folk are not deprived of services.
Embracing technology, the ministry has begun to introduce telehealth to rural areas.

Organ transplant getting unscrupulous: Health DG

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The increase in worldwide demand for human organs has led to the emergence of “transplant tourism” and human trafficking.
Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said it was the duty of government agencies to clamp down on such activities.
“As more vulnerable and poor people become affected by the financial crisis, there are increasing reports of trafficking in human beings used as sources of organs and of patients cum tourists travelling abroad to buy organs from poor people.
“It is up to us to impose morals on the market to ensure that the medical world is not a jungle, where only the fittest survive and the unfortunate lose out in the scheme of things,” he said when opening the regional meeting on World Health Organisation guiding principles on human organ transplantation Monday.
Dr Ismail said licensed organ entrepreneurs often came up with “creative” solutions to get around the policies and strategies put into place by governments to make organ transplantation a safe, ethical and transparent process.
On the influenza A (H1N1) situation, Dr Ismail said the ministry was still tracking down those people who had come into contact with five confirmed patients.
He also urged passengers on board the following flights - MH091 and AK702 which touched down at the KL International Airport and the LCCT at 7.15am and 1pm respectively on Wednesday and AirAsia X D7 2723 that arrived in LCCT at 7am on Friday to contact the ministry.
Dr Ismail said, so far, 118 people who came into contact with the patients had been placed under home quarantine.
“All of them are healthy and do not show any sign of the disease,” he said.

Military Medical Faculty to take in students next year

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) will create a Military Medical Faculty and take in 40 students for its first intake next year.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the development of the new faculty was also in line with UPNM's target to become a university of excellence not only in academics but also personality, leadership and personal development.
"We own assets such as military hospitals and health examination centres, and we have identified several military hospitals to become practical training centres for the students," he told reporters after an official visit to UPNM at the Sungai Besi Camp, here Monday.
Accompanying him was his deputy, Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, army chief, Jen Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal and UPNM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.
Ahmad Zahid said UPNM would also implement several policy changes regarding student intake and the composition of civilian and military students to ensure that the university produced students able to fulfill the needs of the military and outside market.
"The policy changes are being reviewed, and if necessary we will amend them. So far, only 20 per cent of the intake to UPNM through the university entrance management division (UPU) are members of the public with no basic military training.
"We will see how things go. We need to refer to the Prime Minister regarding these policies. If he agrees to the changes, we will open UPNM to foreign students as well," he said.
He said work to upgrade infrastructure on the 162ha main campus will be carried out immediately so that all buildings would be completed before the end of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
There are currently 1,857 students of whom 20 percent are not military cadets, and UPNM targets a maximum intake of 5,000 students comprising of 2,500 cadet officers, 500 civilian students and 200 masters and PhD students.
He added that 250 students from UPNM's first intake would receive their diplomas and degrees during the convocation next year.

Students with the flu urged to stay put

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Health autho-rities have advised Malaysians studying abroad to delay their return if they show symptoms of influenza.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican made the call as authorities anticipate a big number of students from abroad coming home for the summer holidays.
“I hope those who show flu-like symptoms will immediately go to clinics and hospitals in the countries where they are to get treatment before returning to Malaysia,” he said yesterday.
Dr Ismail said a total of 153 people were currently under home quarantine after coming into contact with five people who have been confirmed to be down with influenza A (H1N1). Eighty-nine people who were asked to remain at home were those connected to a 23-year-old student who arrived from New York on June 1.
Forty-six people came into contact with two German tourists who flew in from Singapore on June 3 and 13 people were with the 28-year-old student who arrived from New York on Wednesday.
Five people who came into contact with a confirmed case arriving from Melbourne on Friday are also home quarantined.
Dr Ismail said since there were no new cases reported on Saturday, the number of influenza A (H1N1) cases reported in Malaysia remained at seven, with all being “imported cases”.
“The five patients are still under treatment and are recovering well. Their condition is reported to be stable while those under home quarantine are also reported to be well,” he said yesterday.

Free health screening on Tuesday

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Older Malaysians are generally an overweight lot.
This was what a chronic disease screening survey conducted among 1,300 Malaysians above the age of 40 found last year.
The survey, which was led by University of Malaya's Department of Social and Preventive Medicine senior lecturer Dr Moy Foong Ming, found that 46 per cent (598) of them were obese and what's more is that 35.2 per cent (458) were overweight.
Only 34.5 per cent (449) had a healthy cholesterol level, with one-third of them on the borderline (433) and the rest, with high cholesterol levels (418).
"The attitude of the participants was that it was alright to be overweight," said Moy.
"They felt that if they lost weight, it would imply that they were not well."
Moy said this mindset had to be changed as obesity was the precursor for many chronic diseases.
This gave birth to the idea of having a University of Malaya Wellness Programme.
The programme is an effort by the UM management to promote the health and well-being of employees.
The programme was launched last year where voluntary free health screenings were held for UM staff aged 40 years and above.
"Generally the risk tends to be higher after 40," said UM Social and Preventive Medicine department head Professor Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud.
"There is a Public Service Department circular that states that staff above 40 should get screened.
"Those who are on the borderline of health problems are given advice while those who need medical advice are referred to wellness clinics run by the Department of Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology."
This year's Health Awareness Day which will be held on Tuesday is open to the members of the public of all ages from 10am to 5pm.
This initiative is led by the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Sports and Health Department, National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), National Kidney Foundation, Federal Territory Health Department and the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.
There will be free screenings for blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), bone density, oral health and glaucoma.
"There will also be a booth on breast self-examination run by LPPKN as well as pap smear tests.
"There will also be a booth on men's health where a screening questionnaire will be used to determine if a individual has urinary tract problems.
"Everything is free except for the pap smear test which will cost RM20," said Dr Awang.
"Most hospitals don't provide wellness screening."
Dr Awang said they wanted to encourage people take proactive steps and stay healthy.

Seventh H1N1 patient detected

Star: PUTRAJAYA: A female Australian student has been confirmed to be the seventh patient infected with influenza A (H1N1) in Malaysia, said Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
He said the 15-year-old travelled with her mother from Melbourne on AirAsia X D7 2723 and arrived at the LCCT at 7am on Friday.
Her fever was detected when she went through the thermal scanner screening at the airport.
“She told our medical team that she had started having fever, cough and sore throat the day before arriving in Malaysia,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He said the girl was then referred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on Friday and admitted to a special ward.
“She was confirmed to be down with the disease the same day and given anti-viral treatment,” he said, adding that the girl was in stable condition.
He said the girl’s mother, who did not show any symptoms, had been placed under quarantine.
Dr Ismail said the AirAsia flight was carrying 258 passengers at the time.
“The ministry urges all passengers, especially those who were seated in Row 3 and those nearby, to quickly call us at 03-8881 0200 or 03-8881 0300 from 8am to 9pm.”
He said, so far, 143 people who had come into contact with influenza A (H1N1) patients had been put under home quarantine and that all were reported to be in good health and did not show symptoms of the disease.
Dr Ismail said 89 of them had been in contact with the student who returned from the United States, 46 with two German tourists infected with the virus, seven with a 28-year-old student who arrived from New York and one with the Australian girl.
“The ministry is tracking others who had come into contact with all these patients, including passengers who were on the same flights with them.”
He said the ministry had received 26 notifications of passengers with influenza symptoms on Friday.
“All these patients have been admitted to isolation wards in six designated hospitals for treatment and investigation.”
He said one of them was the Australian student, while 19 others tested negative for the virus. Six were still awaiting their results.

Taking pains to care for patients

Star: PUTRAJAYA: All 60,000 nurses and 10,000 doctors in government hospitals will get training in pain management over the next three years to ensure better healthcare services.
Dr Mary Cardosa, the organising chairman of “Making Pain the 5th Vital Sign, Improving Patient Safety” conference, said such training would help medical staff assess pain and reduce patients’ suffering.
“Previously, there were four vital signs nurses looked out for in warded patients — blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate and temperature.
“We believe that it is important to include pain as the fifth vital sign when they check on patients,” she told reporters after attending the conference here yesterday.
“The training is compulsory for medical staff from government hospitals but we hope that the private practice would also organise such programmes to equip nurses and doctors for better healthcare service,” she said.

Sixth A(H1N1) case confirmed

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has confirmed its sixth case of influenza A (H1N1), a 28-year-old student who arrived here on Wednesday from New York on Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH091.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the student did not exhibit symptoms at the airport but later reported to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital with cough and a sore throat.
“We confirmed the case today,” he told a press conference after a working visit to the National Heart Institute yesterday.
Liow said some of those on the flight had already been quarantined at home while the rest were being tracked down.
He also commended the passengers aboard MH091 for their quick response.
Liow urged all Malaysians to be vigilant and continue to practise good hygiene to prevent an outbreak through local transmission.
The ministry would also be issuing pamphlets and putting up posters to remind the public on the precautions to take when travelling overseas.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said that 61 people who came in contact with confirmed influenza A (H1N1) patients were under home quarantine.
Of the number, 35 were those who came in contact with the student who returned home from the United States, while 26 had contact with two German tourists infected with the virus.
The German tourists, aged 30 and 32, had travelled from Singapore on AirAsia’s Flight AK702 on Wednesday.
In a statement, Dr Ismail said the three were being treated and were in stable condition.
“There were 276 passengers and crew members on board MH091. So far, 71 have been traced in Malaysia.
“Of the 78 passengers and crew members on board the AirAsia flight, 20 have been found,” he said.
He said those on MH091 would be put under home quarantine until Monday, while those on AK702 would be released on Wednesday if they were found to be free of the flu.
He said two people who came in contact with an influenza patient in Hong Kong were released from home quarantine yesterday.
Dr Ismail said the tracking of other passengers was still going on and he appealed to those involved to contact the ministry at 03-8881 0200 or 03-8881 0300.
He said the ministry received 22 notifications of people experiencing influenza A symptoms, including the two Germans, on Thursday.

A (H1N1) flu: M’sia reports 3 more cases

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Three more new cases of influenza A (H1N1) have been confirmed in Malaysia, making the total number of patients infected with the disease to five since May 15.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the first new case was a Malaysian student, 23, who travelled home from the United State on MAS flight MH091 for holiday.
“The student did not have fever when he arrived at the KL International Airport on Monday (June 1) but started to have the symptom and cough on Wednesday (June 3),” he told a press conference here Thursday.
He said the student was admitted at the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban on Wednesday for treatment and investigation.
“He was confirmed to have contracted the disease at 4am Thursday through laboratory test carried out by the Malaysia Medical Research Institute,” he said.
He said the student, who had been given anti-viral treatment, was in stable condition.
Liow said the other two patients were two Germans tourists, who first arrived in Singapore on Monday (June 1) for their holiday in Asia countries.
“They arrived at the LCCT on AirAsia flight AK702 on Wednesday (June 3) at 1.55pm,” he said.
He said the two patients, aged 30 and 32, started having fever in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday (June 3).
“They received treatment at the Gleneagles Hospital, Kuala Lumpur and were transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for further treatment and investigation at 1.40am on the same day,” he said.
He said the two patients, who were friends, were confirmed with the disease at 3pm Thursday through laboratory test by the Malaysia Medical Research Institute.
“They are in stable condition and anti-viral treatment will start now,” he said.
Liow said the ministry was tracking those who came into contact with the two German patients, including crew members and passengers on board AK702, to prevent local transmission of the virus.
“We ask for their cooperation with the ministry by contacting us at 03-8881 0200 or 03-8881 0300 so that we can give them health advice, including the need of home quarantine,” he said.
However, Liow could not give details of how many crew members and passengers from AK702 were involved.
“We are still getting the information,” he said.
He advised members of the public to practise cough etiquette by covering their mouth and washing their hands with soap and water after coughing and sneezing.
“Those who are coughing and having flu are advised to uses ‘three-ply’ mask to prevent infection,” he said.
He also urged those who were having fever, cough and flu not to travel overseas to reduce respiratory infection.

A (H1N1) flu: M’sia reports 3rd case

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia reported its third case of the Influenza A (H1N1) flu, a 23-year-old male student who returned from the United States on June 1 on Malaysian Airlines flight MH091 and tested positive for the infection.
The health authorities are tracing the 276 passenger and crew on board.
The man returned to the country for a holiday but did not have any fever when he arrived at KL International Airport.
However, he began to have fever and cough on June 3 and was sent to Tuanku Jaafar hospital in Seremban on the same day for treatment and observation,” said health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.
“The student was confirmed to have been infected with Influenza A (H1N1) at 4am Thursday through laboratory tests conducted by the Institute of Medical Research (IMR).
“The patient is in stable condition and has been given anti-viral treatment,” he said Thursday.
Health authorities had earlier announced Malaysia’s first two cases of Influenza A (H1N1) on May 15 and 16. Both were students who also returned home from the United States.

Liow: Ministry practises open tender policy

Star: GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry has always practised the open tender process when buying pharmaceutical and medical products, says Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said those registered with the Ministry of Finance could go through Pharmaniaga Bhd that had the exclusive rights to distribute pharmaceutical and medical products to the ministry. However, he said that companies which had issues with the matter could write in to the ministry.
Liow said he had always championed for pharmaceutical companies to be more competitive.
The minister was commenting on a statement by B. Braun corporate controlling, finance and information technology vice-president Dieter Gemmer that the company was considering to move part of its operations, specifically pharmaceuticals, from Penang to Indonesia because it did not wish to go through “medical middlemen” to sell its products.
Gemmer had said that all the company wanted was to be allowed to participate in open tenders instead of having to sell their products through a third party.
“If there are specific allegations, the company can raise the matter to me. The ministry will investigate the matter,” Liow told reporters yesterday.
He was at the Penang International Airport yesterday for AirAsia’s debut flight from Singapore.

Ambulance chaser beats up doctor

NST: KLANG: They try their best to blend in with the crowd at the hospital emergency rooms, but they are not the concerned family members they pretend to be.
Touts, working undercover for insurance companies and shady law firms, have been known to wait in emergency rooms to take advantage of accident victims.
But one went too far on Saturday night when he assaulted a doctor at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) for asking him to leave the hospital.
Dr Aniljeet Singh Darmar, 29, lodged a police report on the same night, saying that the tout had barged into a restricted area at 8.30pm as he was about to operate on an accident victim with a broken leg.
He said he asked the tout to leave but the latter refused and pushed him hard. A scuffle ensued and the tout punched Dr Aniljeet in the face, leaving him with a bruise.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Mat Yusop said police received the report at 9pm.
"The 29-year-old man has been remanded for four days to assist in investigations."
HTAR director Dr Ghazali Hasni Md Hassan said touts were turning into a menace not only at HTAR, but other hospitals nationwide as well.
"These touts receive tip-offs from their inside contacts such as ambulance drivers, hospital attendants and even mortuary staff.
"They come from various agencies, lawyers' firms, insurance companies and tow truck companies."
Dr Ghazali said the touts interfered with the doctors' work and were aggressive as they also competed with each other to get new clients.
"They couldn't care less about the patient's condition as they earn commission by filing insurance claims and signing up new clients.
"Sometimes, they harass patients even when they are not stabilised yet. They have become a constant harassment to the staff."
He also claimed this was not the first time a hospital staff had been assaulted by a tout.
"They get angry when we try to stop them as they feel we are trying to prevent them from making a living but the patient's life is our priority."

Ministry finalising purchase of Sabah Medical Centre

NST: KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government, through the health ministry, is finalising the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for the private hospital, Sabah Medical Centre (SMC).
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday the cabinet had approved RM280 million for the purchase and the renovation and refurbishment works to create more beds were expected to cost around RM90 million.
"The renovation works are expected to be done within six months from the date of signing of the SPA.
"After the renovation, 455 beds will be made available and at the same time, there will be more operating theatres to reduce the backlog of elective surgical cases after the main tower block of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) was declared unsafe," he said after visiting the SMC building here.
He said that tower block in QEH housed 589 beds and even after the closure of the block, the number of beds still remained at 502 beds, but the numbers were distributed among various hospitals around Kota Kinabalu.
"The purchase of SMC also marks another milestone for the medical services in Sabah, as cardiology and cardiothoracic services in this state will be in operation almost immediately without having to wait for another three to four years for a heart centre to be built.
"Sabah will be the fifth regional heart centre under the ministry, and heart patients in Sabah don't have to travel all the way to West Malaysia or Kuching for cardiothoracic services," he added.
In the meantime, he said the building of the twin towers at the QEH would proceed as planned under the Ninth Malaysia Plan while another new hospital would be built under the 10th Malaysia Planto cater to medical needs in the state.
On the QEH main tower block, he said that after inspection by engineers, it was found to be more practical to demolish it rather than to maintain it due to the costs.
Liow also said that the announcement by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman that the Wisma Khidmat building would be turned into a private hospital, was not discussed by the ministry as it was a state matter.
Asked to comment about a suggestion that Sabah should revive its own state health ministry, Liow said: "It is up to the state government, but the federal government is willing to assist the people of Sabah."