HEALTH MINISTRY DENIES LATE ACTION ON A(H1N1) INFLUENZA

ROMPIN (Malaysia), May 18 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has denied
allegations by some quarters it was late in acting on the influenza A(H1N1) that
caused some suspected patients being detected late.

Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said efforts to detect
passengers on AirAsia's flight AK5358 that departed from the Sepang Low Cost
Carrier Terminal for Penang at 11am on May 13 cannot be used as an excuse to
blame the ministry for acting slowly.

"As soon as we received the report about the two passengers suspected of
A(H1N1), a news conference was held immediately and immediate follow-up steps
taken to control the spread of the virus.

"People were provided information continously over all forms of channels
over developments related to A(H1N1)," Rosnah told reporters at the
ground-breaking ceremony for the Rompin Hospital that was done by the Sultan of
Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah in this east coast town Monday.

Rosnah was commenting on the allegation by the The Federation of Malaysian
Consumers Associations (Fomca) that the Health Ministry was late in acting to
detect two passengers from abroad who had H1N1.

On May 13, a student returning to Malaysia from the United States on board
Malaysia Airlines' flight MH091 together with 191 passengers was confirmed
positive for the influenza after being admitted to the Sungai Buloh Hospital the
next day.

Another student who was a friend boarded the AirAsia flight AK5358 from the
Sepang LCCT to Penang was also confirmed for A(H1N1) and was treated at the
Penang Hospital.

According to Rosnah, the Health Ministry always cooperated with all quarters
to detect people suspected of having the A(H1N1) virus as information on the
matter could not be concealed.

Commenting on the efforts to contact the passengers on AirAsia's flight
AK5358, Rosnah said more than 50 per cent of the 102 passengers had contacted
the Health Ministry to inform that they were on the flight.

"We will send medical officers to quarantine them and provide the proper
treatment to them in their homes and all developments related to them will be
provided by the Deputy Director of Health, Dr Ramlee Rahmat, from time to time,"
she said.

Rosnah also advised people who intended to travel abroad to postpone their
trips given that many countries had been reported to have cases of the
influenza.

Meanwhile, Sultan Ahmad Shah called upon the Health Ministry to enhance
cooperation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide information to
the people on the dangers of the A(H1N1) influenza.

Sultan Ahmad Shah said the cooperation was very important as many people
were not aware of preventive measures and how the virus spread.

"I hope the cooperation between the ministry and the NGOs and the
Information, Communications and Culture Ministry can explain to the people the
ways to avoid the virus as well as to educate people abour personal cleanliness
to avoid contracting any other illnesses," he said at the ground breaking
ceremony.

The Rompin Hospital expected to be ready in November 2011 will cost RM110
million and will be built on 7.7 hectares of land.

It will have emergency services; specialists' visits; general surgery; and a
women and children's wards.

Sultan Ahmad Shah also called on the Health Ministry to build a new hospital
in Kuantan to handle the requirements on people in Pahang which were increasing.
(US$1=RM3.56)
--BERNAMA