4 theSun | THURSDAY JULY 30 2009

news without borders

H1N1 figures
(as of 8am yesterday)
AS MALAYSIA RECORDS 4TH H1N1-RELATED DEATH... symptoms of pneumonia present.
» New cases: 47 “If I am the doctor, if I find a pa-
tient coming with severe pneumonia
0
Docs told to be more
» Imported cases: at this time, and if the patient got co-
morbid condition and (is) obese, my
» Local transmissions: 47 first diagnosis is to exclude H1N1? I
hope that, after four deaths, people
would be more alert,” he said.
» Total no. of cases:1,266 He said the 10th meeting of the
Technical Committee on Pandemic
4
alert and suspicious
H1N1, held yesterday, decided that:
» Total no. of deaths:
» All public and private medical
practitioners must have a high index
of suspicion;

Exams to be held
as scheduled
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ujian Pencapaian
Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), Penilaian Menengah
Rendah (PMR), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) ex-
aminations will not be postponed.
Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin
Mohd Dom said all national school examina-
tions, including then UPSR in September, would
proceed, and held in hospitals, if necessary.
“We can’t change the examinations dates as
we like. Candidates under treatment will have
to sit for the examinations in hospitals or in
schools without the presence of non-candidate
students,” he told Bernama.
Alimuddin said the Education Department
would discuss with the Health Ministry and
National Security Council soon the best way to
conduct the examinations.
Ten primary and secondary schools nation-
wide have been closed for one week to contain
the spread of the H1N1 virus.
“H1N1 preventive tools like mouth and nose
masks, germicides and thermometers will be
distributed to all schools soon to check the
spread of the virus,” he said.
The UPSR will be held from Sept 8 to 10, PMR
from Oct 7 to 9, SPM from Nov 19 to Dec 16, and
STPM from Nov 18 to Dec 10.
by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia
recorded its fourth Influenza
A(H1N1) related death yes-
terday, prompting the Health
director-general to advise
doctors to be more alert and
suspicious.
“We need to really
strengthen our examination
techniques. (We) must go back
to medical school. When the
patients come to see you, you
must listen very well to their
history, if it shows respiratory
symptoms, you examine the
respiratory system in detail,”
Tan Sri Ismail Merican said.
At the same time, he said,
several additional measures
were being taken by the Tech-
nical Committee on Pandemic
H1N1 to check the spread of
local transmissions.
His comments came in
the wake of the death of a 20-
year-old woman in Malacca,
the fourth H1N1 related death
since the first on July 21.
The woman, who was
obese, had been down
with fever, sore throat
and cough since July 16
but was only admitted
to Malacca Hospital on
Sunday. Early examina-
tion had shown that she
was suffering from sepsis
secondary to pneumonia but
she did not have any medical
history.
“At 8.30pm on July 26, she
was transferred to the Intensive
Care Unit after having difficul-
ties breathing and in need of
ventilator assistance,” Ismail
told a press conference.
“On July 27, she experi-
enced various clinical com-
plications such as septicaemia
secondary to community
acquired pneumonia, acute
renal failure, acute pulmonary
oedema and acute respiratory
distress syndrome.
“On July 28, her situation
deteriorated and she passed
away at 9.40am due to severe
community acquired pneumo-
nia. A throat sample was then
»
All severe pneumonia cases
treated in hospitals must have their
INFLUENZA A(H1N1) HOTLINE
throat swab taken for H1N1 test,
get started with anti-viral treat-
ment, and history of influenza-like
illness taken;
» 03-88810200/300
» 03-88834414/415 »
All suspected severe pneumo-
nia due to H1N1 must be given
anti-viral treatment with double
taken and she was confirmed dose;
H1N1 positive”
Ismail said 47 new cases were
» H1N1 lab tests will be expanded
to state government hospitals (now
reported yesterday – all local only available at Sungai Buloh Hos-
transmissions involving Malaysians pital and the Institute for Medical
– including the woman’s death. Research);
Twenty-seven were from six new
clusters, 10 from existing clusters » Twenty-one private hospitals will
and 10 sporadic cases. be given adequate anti-viral supply
From July 15 until yesterday, (now only available at the Health
there were 1,266 accumulated cases, Ministry and certain hospitals).
including four deaths – 574 (45%) Ismail said that according to
imported cases and 692 (55%) local World Health Organisation (WHO)
transmission. director of communicable diseases
Of this, 1,233 (97%) have recov- Datuk Dr Tee Ah Sian, who briefed
ered, 24 (2%) are receiving anti-viral the meeting, although many people
treatment in hospitals, and nine (1%) around the world treat H1N1 as a
undergoing treatment at home. light condition, WHO itself was not
Ismail said in the case of all the so sure about that.
four deaths, the patients had been “The WHO does not know
late in getting treatment and there whether it is light or not, so it best
was a low index of suspicion among for all Malaysians to be cautious,”
private doctors although there were he said.

Pregnant women at greater

risk, say researchers
CHICAGO: Pregnant women
infected with H1N1 have a
much higher risk of severe
illness and death, US gov-
ernment researchers said
yesterday, confirming a trend
that has worried global health
experts.
While pregnant women
have always had a higher
risk of severe disease from
influenza in general, the
new H1N1 virus is taking an
exceptionally heavy toll, the
researchers said.
“We do see a four-fold in-
crease in hospitalisation rates
among ill pregnant women
compared to the general pop-
ulation,” Dr Denise Jamieson
of the US Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention said in
a telephone interview.
“We’re also seeing a
relatively large proportion
of deaths among pregnant
women. We report 13% in
the paper, but that is a very
unstable number based on
a small number of deaths
reported,” said Jamieson,
whose study appears in the
journal Lancet.
The study was based on
the deaths of six pregnant
women out of 45 deaths
related to H1N1 reported to
the CDC between April 15 and
June 16. – Reuters

Call off ISA rallies, Hishammuddin

tells rival groups
by Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA: The two feuding parties involved in
the mammoth Internal Security Act (ISA) rallies in
Kuala Lumpur on Saturday have been told not to
continue with their plan as they would probably
create a chaotic situation.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin
Hussein said there is no point of having the rally
for or against the ISA because the government
has already said the act will be reviewed.
“I agree with the police, they should not con-
tinue the demonstrations. They did not request
a permit, so they are illegal assemblies. Are they
really fighting for a cause or simply wanting to
create chaos?” he said after the ministry’s post-
cabinet meeting yesterday.
“I am disappointed with this. We have already
said we are going to review the ISA but while we
are doing this, there are people out to exploit,
sensationalise and politicise the ISA issue.”
Hishammuddin was commenting on reports
that two rallies – one against ISA organised by
Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI), and another for
ISA organised by Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa
Malaysia (Perkasa) – were being planned.
Kuala Lumpur police chief DCP Datuk Mohd
Sabtu Osman had said he was willing to meet
GMI and Perkasa representatives to convince
them to call off the rallies.
He said police would take action against
those planning or joining the ISA campaigns.
On a report linking people’s representa-
tives with underworld activities (kongsi gelap),
Hishammuddin said he had already asked the
police to look into the matter.
“This must be investigated as it does not only
tarnish the image of people’s representatives
but also the good name of the legislative as-
semblies,” he said.
On unhappy voices over a report by a Ma-
lay tabloid about the background of the late
movie and advertising director Yasmin Ahmad,
Hishammuddin said he had yet to receive any
memorandum or written complaint about it.
However, should there be any complaint or
memorandum, he would ask the relevant divi-
sions in the ministry to look at it from the legal
angle.
He said that personally, the report, published
on Monday, a day after Yasmin died, “was not
proper, against our values and has no mercy for
the deceased’s family members”.
“Even if they want to sensationalise things,
it should not be to the extent of forgetting our
roots and culture, our religious and racial values,”
he said.