MINISTRY MONITORING HOSPITALS' PREPAREDNESS IN FACING INFLUENZA A(H1N1)

KOTA BAHARU (Malaysia), May 22 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Health Ministry is
monitoring the country's hospitals' preparedness in facing the influenza A(H1N1)
following fears that the viral infection may spread fast during the cold season
in the southern hemisphere.

Its minister Liow Tiong Lai said besides making available
low-pressure monitors in the hospitals' isolation wards for suspected influenza
A(H1N1) patients, their emergency rooms must also isolate patients infected with
the virus.

"We are taking various precautionary measures as the disease spreads fast.
So, the measures taken by the hospitals have to be monitored in facing any
eventuality," he said after visiting Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, in Kota
Baharu, the capital city of east coast state of Kelantan in Peninsular Malaysia,
Friday.

Liow said the ministry had also been monitoring screening of people at the
country's entry/exit points including the airports where so far 133,410
passengers had been screened. Another 13,148 people who travelled by land were
screened at the border checkpoints and 6,965 at the ports.

"As for Kelantan, the border checkpoints at Pengkalan Kubor, Rantau Panjang
and Bukit Bunga are also being monitored where until today, 15,483 people have
been screened for the viral infection."


He said of the 193 suspected cases reported nationwide so far, only two
were confirmed positive and they got the infection from abroad and not from
within Malaysia, hence the country was still free from the virus.

Asked about people who sneaked into this country illegally through the
border and therefore not screened, Liow said the ministry was working with the
authorities like the police, army and Immigration Department to bring the
illegals caught and with suspected flu symptoms, to the nearest hospital for
examination.

"We are also asking for cooperation from private doctors to inform us if
they have patients suspected of having the H1N1 infection," he said.

Liow said that until 8am today, the ministry's operations room had been
notified of 21 cases admitted to the isolation wards of nine referral hospitals
for observation.

Sungai Buloh Hospital has six cases, Kuala Lumpur Hospital (four),
Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar (three), Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital in
Seremban (two), Tuanku Fauziah Hospital in Kangar (two), while Melaka Hospital,
Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh, Penang Hospital and Raja Perempuan
Zainab II Hospital have one case each.

"However, all 21 notified cases have been confirmed to be free from
influenza A(H1N1) from the laboratory tests conducted at the Institute of
Medical Research," said Liow.

-- BERNAMA