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Published: Monday August 17, 2009 MYT 10:33:00 AM
Updated: Monday August 17, 2009 MYT 8:55:16 PM

A (H1N1): 2 more die, health curfew if mortality rate reaches 0.4pc (Update 4)


KUALA LUMPUR: The Government may declare a national curfew to slow down the spread of Influenza A(H1N1) if the patients’ mortality rate exceed 0.4% based on confirmed cases.

The current rate is calculated based on 20 times the number of confirmed H1N1 cases according to World Health Organisation guidelines, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said the current rate was between 0.1% and 0.4% of 4,225 confirmed cases, adding that the Government was treating the situation as a health emergency due to persistent community transmissions.

He said that only the National Security Council, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, could declare a national curfew as a measure to curb the virus’ spread.

A “health curfew” may involve the closure of all schools and the cancellation of all public and social functions, medical sources said.

Public gathering places might also be temporarily closed.

“We’re treating the situation as a health emergency now. We have taken various steps to ensure that the situation can be controlled,” he said after opening the Asia Healthcare Conference 2009 Monday.

He added that a health emergency meant that there was “dynamic and persistent” community transmissions between 200 and 400 reports of confirmed cases a day.

Liow also urged the public to report individuals with influenza-like illness (ILI) to their respective district health offices for breaking quarantine or not wearing masks.

“When the public see people with ILI without masks, tell the district health office so we can take action by issuing summonses and charging them under the Disease Control Act.

“We cannot allow those with ILI to endanger anyone else, or the situation will become a pandemic we cannot control,” he said.

On controlling the price of face masks, Liow said his Ministry will study the issue with the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry before making an announcement soon.

He added that the public should refer to the Ministry’s dedicated website on the pandemic for official news and not be confused by rumours of the Government purportedly calling for a “curfew.” Liow also warned that government healthcare services were “under tremendous pressure” from an acute shortage of doctors and dentists.

“Cooperation between government and private healthcare is of utmost importance now because government healthcare facilities are understaffed.

“Service expansion in government hospitals have been severely constrained by an acute shortage of healthcare human resources,” he said.

According to Liow, the Government had only filled 57.4% of 24,236 vacancies for doctors while only 56.6% of 2,549 positions for dentists were filled until June 30 this year.

The Government also faced a shortage of pharmacists and staff nurses, having filled only 74.1% and 87.5% respectively of the available positions.

The flu took two more lives, a seven-month-old boy and a 74-year-old woman, taking the country’s death toll to 64 on Monday.

Liow said Monday that 384 new cases were reported, bringing the total number of case to 4,225.

He added that government records show that many of the deaths were due to late treatment, and he urged private doctors urged to “raise their level of suspicion” when checking patients.

In ALOR SETAR, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak urged the Federal Government to declare a national health alert.

He said the state government was willing to cancel all government programmes including the state-level National Day parade if the Federal Government declared such an alert.

“We view the spread of the flu seriously because the deaths due to the pandemic has increased day-by-day,” he said after the Wisma Darulaman staff monthly morning assembly on Monday.

In PUTRAJAYA, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the seven-month old baby had asthma and was warded in the intensive care unit on Aug 7 for fever, cough and breathing difficulties over the past two days.

The toddler’s parents had sought treatment from a private clinic a day earlier and anti-viral treatment was given to him on Aug 8. He was confirmed to have been infected with the A(H1N1) on Aug 12.

“The baby died on Aug 15 due to severe pneumonia with acute respiratory failure,” Dr Ismail said Monday.

The 74-year-old victim suffered from diabetes and heart failure; she was warded on Aug 10 after she fainted at her house.

Dr Ismail said the victim had been suffering from fever and cough since Aug 8 and doctors began anti-viral treatment on her on Aug 11 but the patient died the following day.

He said she had succumbed to severe pneumonia and was tested positive for A(H1N1) on Aug 13.

“There are currently 33 patients being treated in the ICU and they are of the high-risk group -- suffering from chronic illness, asthma, obesity, mentally handicapped patients, a pregnant woman and a woman who had just delivered,” he said.

Dr Ismail said it was important for those even with the slightest flu symptoms to stay away from public places, from going to work or school, and they should not even take public transport to avoid infecting others.

“The public must be aware that even if they have a slight flu, the A(H1N1) virus can still be spread to others when they cough or sneeze.

“That is why we strongly advise those affected to remain at home until the symptoms cease,” he said.

Related Stories:
Latest batch of A (H1N1) cases brings death toll to 62
Govt to use Price Control Act on face mask sales
Three more H1N1 deaths reported, says Ismail
Learn more about H1N1 at Wisma MCA
Identifying ‘hot spots’ for H1N1 can be counter-productive
Clinics not keen on stocking up Tamiflu
34 NS camps reopen after flu closure
Govt to weigh pros and cons of H1N1 disclosure

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