Since the Nipah virus outbreak in 1999, the Malaysian Health Ministry have put in place processes to be better prepared to protect the Malaysian population from the threat of infectious diseases. Malaysia was fully prepared during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) situation (Malaysia was not a SARS affected country) and the episode of the H5N1 (bird flu) outbreak in 2004.
The Malaysian government has developed a National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (NIPPP) which serves as a time bound guide for preparedness and response plan for influenza pandemic. It provides a policy and strategic framework for a multi-sectoral response and contains specific advice and actions to be undertaken by the Ministry of Health at the different levels, other governmental departments and agencies and non governmental organizations to ensure that resources are mobilized and used most efficiently before, during and after a pandemic episode.
According to the Malaysian Ministry of Health, headed by Liow Tiong Lai, health screenings were carried out on passengers traveling to and from Mexico via sea, air and land beginning April 17 2009.
The Health Ministry's disease control division has activated its operations room to monitor the swine flu situation and informed medical practitioners who are treating cases with symptoms of influenza-like illness or severe pneumonia and persons who had visited Mexico, California or Texas to inform the district health office immediately for preventive and control measures.
As has several Asian countries, thermal scanners had been installed at entry points at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) following the start of the global alert on the flu. Screenings were imposed in Pengkalan Hulu, at the border with Thailand, in late April.
Quarantine rooms had been allocated in 28 hospitals, and the country has stockpiled more than 2 million doses of Tamiflu, as of May 2009.
The Malaysian Health Ministry has warned Malaysians not to withhold health information to the authorities saying that those doing so could be fined RM10,000 or jailed two years or both if they are found guilty under the Disease Prevention Act 1988.
On June 18, 2009 Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared that all visitors and Malaysians returning from abroad will be required to fill the health declaration form following the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic around the world.
On June 25, 2009 the Health Ministry announced that all leave of 100,000 staff nationwide until further notice to contain the Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak. This applied to all officers in government hospitals, public health departments and laboratories. The World Health Organisation wants Malaysia to move from containment mode to mitigation mode in its battle against influenza A (H1N1).
Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican has advised students returning for holidays from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and the Philippines must quarantine themselves at home for seven days. The Health Ministry has said most imported cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) reported in the country involved people who returned from these countries.
School authorities have been told to monitor students and staff members for symptoms of influenza A(H1N1) such as fever and flu to avoid locally transmitted cases. The Education Ministry said that such cases must be sent to the nearest hospital for quarantine of both the victim and family if there were any such signs.
On June 25, 2009 the Health Ministry issued a statement to all employers to allow seven days’ unrecorded leave for staff placed under quarantine for A(H1N1) or going into self-quarantine after visiting Australia, Mexico, the Philippines or the United States. Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the ministry had prepared documents for those placed under home quarantine or volunteering for self-quarantine so employers could identify genuine cases.
Nineteen new Influenza A(H1N1) cases were reported on August 1, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 1,390. According to the Health Ministry another 39 cases of A(H1N1) were reported on August 2.
On August 3, 18 new cases of A(H1N1) were detected bringing the total number of cases to date 1,447.[121] 14 new cases were detected on August 4, 2009 bringing the total accumulated number of Influenza A (H1N1) in Malaysia to 1,460. [122] 16 new cases of H1N1 were discovered on August 5, 2009 bringing the total number of cases to 1,492.[123]
33 new cases were reported on August 6, 2009, bringing the total cases in Malaysia to 1525. It was reported on the same day that a immigration detainee from Togo was found dead at the Sepang detention centre. According to the guard, the prisoner did not complain of fever or cough. Autopsy were conducted on August 4, 2009 in Selayang Hospital and discovered that the patient was suffering from Influenza A(H1N1). However, they were still unable to determine if the flu was the direct cause of the patient's fatality.
On August 8, 2009, 53 more cases were confirmed and brought the number of cases in Malaysia to 1578. Among the 1578 cases, 574(36%) were imported cases and 1004(64%) were local transmission.
A record of more than 200 cases were confirmed on August 9, 2009. 202 new local transmitted cases were confirmed which brought the number of flu cases soared to 1780. 13 patients were still in ICU, and four of them were still in critical condition.[127] 270 new local cases were confirmed on August 11, 2009, bringing the total cases in Malaysia to 2,253.
From 12 August onwards, the Health Ministry has announced that it would discontinue updating the total number of H1N1 cases in line with guidelines issued by the World health Organisation.
AH1N1 SAFETY PRECAUTION
Please read this thoroughly.
1. Refrain from attending public gatherings if you have symptoms of influenza.
2. Wear a surgical mask if you have fever or symptoms of respiratory tract infection.
3. Seek medical advice promptly.
4. Keep hands clean and wash hands properly.
5. Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth.
6. Wash hands with liquid soap promptly if they are contaminated by respiratory tract secretions.
7. Cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing and dispose of nasal and mouth discharges properly.
8. Always wrap nasal and mouth discharges with tissue paper, and dispose of the tissue paper properly in a lidded rubbish bin.
9. DON'T PANIC!
Contrary to what some people might say, you can still look cool with a surgery mask on your face...
So don't be shy, be healthy and put on that mask!
Closed Boxes... Then cet cet cet (Transformers tranforming sound effect)
Roses on my desk!
