Fourth entry!!!

Current Issues.

The cabinet has approved RM158 million for the Health Ministry to upgrade intensive care units at government hospitals, staff skills and treatment in preparation for a possible second wave of influenza A (H1N1). Malaysia is, in fact, more than prepared to handle the H1N1 pandemic, especially with its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan and experience in handling outbreaks, such as the Nipah virus, bird flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The ministry has started a vaccination drive to prevent and control the second wave of the pandemic. Malaysia received 119,000 doses of the vaccine from the supplier late last year and have distributed it to all the states to vaccinate frontline workers. The ministry estimated that some 200,000 people in the high-risk groups would be vaccinate.

The ministry's Inter Ministerial Committee and Technical Committee will be re-activated if there is any indication of a second wave of H1N1. Although the ministry was on high alert as far as the pandemic was concerned, Liow said the public, government and private hospitals as well as clinics should be on alert as well.

The public should continue to practise hand hygiene, cough etiquette and use of mask if a person has influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms, and cooperate with the government to prevent a second wave of the pandemic. Between Jan 10 and 16, Liow said, 355 new cases were registered with ILI symptoms, while 355 patients warded earlier were discharged. On Jan 16, only 341 cases were being treated at 43 hospitals nationwide. Of the number, Liow said, only 25 were confirmed positive for H1N1. Since May last year, a total of 12,356 people have been confirmed positive for the disease in Malaysia.

Liow reminded Malaysians that the H1N1 virus was still actively spreading in the community and countries in the Northern Hemisphere.