A(H1N1) flu: No drastic steps, ministers wary of causing panic
Tarani PalaniPublished: Jun 18, 2009 2:49 AM | Updated: Jun 18, 2009 8:19 AM
A high-level inter-ministerial meeting today decided to take some firm steps to battle the A(H1N1) epidemic but at the same time restrained itself from doing drastic things that could cause panic.
A high-level inter-ministerial meeting today decided to take some firm steps to battle the A(H1N1) epidemic but at the same time restrained itself from doing drastic things that could cause panic.
For starters, all travellers coming into the country will be asked to fill out mandatory health declaration forms. This will be implemented as soon as possible.
"This will involve travellers from everywhere but with we will be more careful with those coming in from the United States, Australia and the Philippines," said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who chaired the meeting in Parliament this morning.
He added that minute details right up to the seat numbers of the travellers will be indicated in these forms.
He also said that the compulsory requirement would be gazetted by next week, adding that those who refuse to comply in submitting the forms could punished with a maximum of two years' jail or fined RM10,000, or both.
"Currently, it is not mandatory to fill the form and it's only done on a voluntary basis. This was started a few months ago," he added.
This move comes just at a time when the country has seen the first locally-transmitted A(H1N1) case.
However, the meeting - officially called National Inter-ministerial Committee on the Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic - overruled suggestions to ban open gatherings to stop the flu from spreading.
"The decision to issue such a ban will come from the National Security Council and no one else. At the moment, there is no need for such a ban," said Muhyiddin.
He added that schools and local councils have no authority to order a ban on public gatherings.
Other measures to be taken
Muhyiddin also advised hospitals to reduce the number of visitors and to prohibit children below the age of 12 years from visiting patients.
Other measures decided today included enforcement of laws to ensure that local councils kept public toilets clean, seasonal influenza vaccination of people in at-risk groups, transport operators providing face masks to passengers prone to influenza and scanning for body temperature at government and private hospitals
In additional, suggestions were made for those infected and close to them to wear masks and more intensive media campaign.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry Director-General Dr Mohd Ismail Merican, who was also in the meeting, said that people who have been travelling should be honest and responsible.
"If you have come back and you have symptoms then please inform us to prevent spreading it to others," he said
He also reiterated that a balance must be achieved between not overdoing preventive measures and causing panic and keeping the epidemic in check.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai added thata there was no reason to panic owing to the first local transmission of the disease as the authorities had the situation under control
The meeting this morning - which lasted for about 75 minutes - was held to draw new measures to be undertaken to combat the A(H1N1) epidemic.
Among the ministries involved in the meeting were the Health Ministry, Human Resource Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Higher Education Ministry and the Defence Ministry.
24 cases so far
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had said yesterday the meeting would involve 14 ministries who would coordinate measures to combat the epidemic.
"It should not be left to the Health Ministry alone,'' he had said.
Apart from this high-level meeting, the government has also alerted the National Security Council to play an important role to fight the pandemic.
"We are on full alert now. The Health Ministry will take drastic measures to ensure local transmission of the disease does not spread.
"At the moment, we are confident we can contain the situation,'' Health Minister Liow said yesterday.
The fear in the Health Ministry is that if the local transmission was not contained, it would then allow for the virus to spread fast.
The locally-transmitted case which was discovered yesterday has been put under observation.
Excluding the local case, Malaysia has recorded 23 cases so far of people with the flu, all of whom who had come to Malaysia from infected countries. The latest was a 22-year-old woman who had returned from Australia on June 14.
VIDEO l 2 mins
For starters, all travellers coming into the country will be asked to fill out mandatory health declaration forms. This will be implemented as soon as possible.
"This will involve travellers from everywhere but with we will be more careful with those coming in from the United States, Australia and the Philippines," said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who chaired the meeting in Parliament this morning.He added that minute details right up to the seat numbers of the travellers will be indicated in these forms.
He also said that the compulsory requirement would be gazetted by next week, adding that those who refuse to comply in submitting the forms could punished with a maximum of two years' jail or fined RM10,000, or both.
"Currently, it is not mandatory to fill the form and it's only done on a voluntary basis. This was started a few months ago," he added.
This move comes just at a time when the country has seen the first locally-transmitted A(H1N1) case.
However, the meeting - officially called National Inter-ministerial Committee on the Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic - overruled suggestions to ban open gatherings to stop the flu from spreading.
"The decision to issue such a ban will come from the National Security Council and no one else. At the moment, there is no need for such a ban," said Muhyiddin.
He added that schools and local councils have no authority to order a ban on public gatherings.
Other measures to be taken
Muhyiddin also advised hospitals to reduce the number of visitors and to prohibit children below the age of 12 years from visiting patients.
Other measures decided today included enforcement of laws to ensure that local councils kept public toilets clean, seasonal influenza vaccination of people in at-risk groups, transport operators providing face masks to passengers prone to influenza and scanning for body temperature at government and private hospitals
In additional, suggestions were made for those infected and close to them to wear masks and more intensive media campaign.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry Director-General Dr Mohd Ismail Merican, who was also in the meeting, said that people who have been travelling should be honest and responsible."If you have come back and you have symptoms then please inform us to prevent spreading it to others," he said
He also reiterated that a balance must be achieved between not overdoing preventive measures and causing panic and keeping the epidemic in check.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai added thata there was no reason to panic owing to the first local transmission of the disease as the authorities had the situation under control
The meeting this morning - which lasted for about 75 minutes - was held to draw new measures to be undertaken to combat the A(H1N1) epidemic.
Among the ministries involved in the meeting were the Health Ministry, Human Resource Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Higher Education Ministry and the Defence Ministry.
24 cases so far
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had said yesterday the meeting would involve 14 ministries who would coordinate measures to combat the epidemic.
"It should not be left to the Health Ministry alone,'' he had said.
Apart from this high-level meeting, the government has also alerted the National Security Council to play an important role to fight the pandemic.
"We are on full alert now. The Health Ministry will take drastic measures to ensure local transmission of the disease does not spread."At the moment, we are confident we can contain the situation,'' Health Minister Liow said yesterday.
The fear in the Health Ministry is that if the local transmission was not contained, it would then allow for the virus to spread fast.
The locally-transmitted case which was discovered yesterday has been put under observation.
Excluding the local case, Malaysia has recorded 23 cases so far of people with the flu, all of whom who had come to Malaysia from infected countries. The latest was a 22-year-old woman who had returned from Australia on June 14.
VIDEO l 2 mins
View Comments0