Quarantine rooms for 28 hospitals

[kiwibird]

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/5/11/nation/3877174&sec=nation

Monday May 11, 2009
Special quarantine rooms at 28 hospitals for A(H1N1)

MALACCA: Health authorities are beefing up the nation?s pandemic preparedness capability by setting up special quarantine rooms in 28 hospitals throughout the country following the Influenza A(H1N1) global outbreak.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the move was in line with the implementation of a national pandemic preparedness plan as called for by the World Health Organisation.

Every state would have hospitals with a designated quarantine area, he said.

Speaking to reporters after visiting Road Transport Department trainees warded for meningitis at the Malacca Hospital yesterday, Liow said the ministry would increase the number of thermal scanners at all entry points into the country.

He noted that the strengthening of the pandemic preparedness plan was crucial not only against H1N1 but also for other types

of infectious threats such as bird flu

(H5N1).

?Don?t think that the threat of the avian flu is not there,? he said, adding that during the Asean Health Ministers meeting in Bangkok last week, Malaysia was deemed as having one of the best pandemic preparedness plans in the region.

[kiwibird]

Re: Quarantine rooms for 28 hospitals

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2553820/Article/index_html

2009/05/10
'We are ready for outbreaks'

MALACCA: The country is prepared to face any bacterial or influenza outbreak under the Health Ministry's pandemic preparation plan, which includes having 20 hospitals on standby nationwide.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the plan was set up not only to deal with the current world outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1) virus but also to counter any outbreaks in the country, including bacterial meningitis.

"In the plan, designated hospitals will have negative pressure rooms and rooms for quarantine.

"The staff strength will also be increased and be ready to be mobilised at any time," he said, after visiting the trainees of the Road Transport Department Academy, who had been infected by bacterial meningitis, at Malacca Hospital yesterday.

"In Malacca Hospital, for example, there is a negative pressure room and four quarantine wards. There is also a triage which is already in operation to attend to anyone who has symptoms of any bacterial outbreak.
"These measures were taken to deal with any possible cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) and because of this the hospital was able to address the current bacterial meningitis outbreak efficiently and effectively."

[kiwibird]

Re: Quarantine rooms for 28 hospitals

2009/05/09
INFLUENZA A(H1N1): Fears of a second wave

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/2552474/Article/index_html

BANGKOK: While Asean, particularly Malaysia, is fully prepared to deal with the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, it wants people to be more alert and take necessary precautions as it is still concerned about a possible second wave that could be more deadly.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, however, said there was still no need to issue travel bans to any of the 24 affected countries, though individuals should delay their visits if they aren't very important.

As the World Health Organisation (WHO) had informed that the virus could become a pandemic, he said it was crucial for individuals to use protection masks or impose self-quarantine if they are sick.

"If the second wave occurs, the virus could spread fast like the Spanish flu in 1918.

"That was also a H1N1 virus and killed millions in the second wave. But the current one is not a pure H1N1 as in 1918, It's a mixed one that is mild and we need to study it further.
Speaking after attending the Special Asean +3 Health Ministers Meeting on the H1N1 threat here yesterday, Liow said Malay-sia was well-prepared to deal with the new virus as it had the mechanism in place, including a stockpile of two million doses of anti-viral drugs, the highest in the region.

He said so far, the Malaysian authorities had tested 32 cases and all were free of the virus.

The latest WHO updates showed that there are 2,371 cases of H1N1 infection in 24 countries, with Mexico, believed to be the source of the outbreak, reporting 1,112 cases, including 42 deaths.

On the Joint Ministerial Statement that touched on exit screening, Liow said instead of banning people from travelling or conducting screening at cross borders, the ministers agreed to contain the spread at the source of outbreak.

"We will go to the community level of locality to contain it, including quarantine. It will not involve the entire nation."

Liow said Asean countries are well prepared to address the current influenza threat based on their experiences dealing with SARS and avian flu that rocked this region in the past few years.

Currently, most of the countries in the world have screening at entry points.

Philippines Health Secretary Dr Francisco T. Duque, who chaired the meeting which was also attended by Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan and representatives from WHO, said they agreed to strengthen cooperation to protect the two billion population of the 13 countries.

The focus would be on surveillance, effective response and risk communications for the public to reduce the spread of the disease and mitigate the adverse impact on individuals and the region.

Duque said they also agreed to share information, chronology, resources, laboratory facilities, but there were no discussion on increasing the 500,000 doses of anti-viral drugs currently being stockpiled in Singapore. -- Bernama