Ready to handle rise in water-borne diseases

SHAH ALAM: The Health Ministry is ready to deal with cases involving water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and leptospirosis at all facilities including its temporary operations centres.

Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said so far, no serious cases involving water-borne diseases had been reported. “The most serious case was in Taman Sri Muda involving a two-year-old boy who had suffered from severe gastroenteritis with dehydration.

“The boy had been referred to HTAR (Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital), Klang, for treatment,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Khairy said the ministry had also mobilised medical personnel to most relief centres besides establishing an operations centre in Taman Sri Muda.

He advised the public, especially in flood-hit areas, to seek immediate treatment at the ministry’s healthcare facilities if they fall sick.

Meanwhile, Khairy said 13 Covid-19 Omicron variant cases had been detected in Malaysia, and 61 suspected reported, which were now under observation.

“All were imported cases and detected at international entry points and so far, there have been no cases of local transmission,” he said, reported Bernama.

Separately, the ministry has sent the Kedah Health department’s “ground zero” disaster task force to assist its flood disaster operations in Selangor.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the team consisted 27 members from those working at the Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah (Alor Setar), Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim (Sungai Petani) and Hospital Kulim.

Dr Noor Hisham said the team was equipped with a mobile resuscitation unit, mobile command vehicle unit, ambulance unit, rapid response vehicle unit and three tents for patient care in mobile and static modes.

The team arrived at 11.30pm on Wednesday and would be based at the Sungai Lui Rural Clinic, Hulu Langat, he said in a Facebook post.

“By working hand in hand with the Hulu Langat Health Office team, we are confident that they will be able to jointly deliver specialised health services to benefit the victims and the community, especially those with access problems,” he said.