Saturday May 16, 2009
29 police trainees under observation
By SARBAN SINGH
SEREMBAN: Twenty-nine trainees from the Police Training Centre (Pulapah) in Air Hitam, near here, have been placed under observation at the Jempol Hospital after a colleague died from acute pericarditis, which is inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart. The inflammation is usually caused by a viral infection.
The trainee died on Thursday.
Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Ismail Merican said two others have been admitted to an isolation ward at the same hospital.
“The two are in stable condition. Our officers will continue to monitor the situation at Pulapah around the clock and any suspected cases will be referred to the Jempol Hospital,” he said in a statement.
Ismail said the health authorities were still investigating how the victim was infected.
“To date, we have prescribed antibiotics to 166 individuals who came into contact with the deceased. We have also taken preventive measures to ensure the disease doesn’t spread,” he said.
The trainee’s death at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital yesterday caused a scare when rumours had the cause as meningitis.
Patients and visitors to the hospital panicked when they saw hospital staff members handling the body wearing face masks and gloves.
To allay their fears, hospital director Dr Jaafar Che Mat said the use of face masks and gloves was a normal procedure to prevent the spread of any contagious disease.
A recent meningitis outbreak in Malacca resulted in many people being hospitalised for suspected meningitis.
As at Thursday, 46 people were still in the isolation ward at the Malacca Hospital.
The outbreak at the Road Transport Department (JPJ) academy there resulted in the death of a trainee.
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