Published on: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 |
Shan Tao became the fifth school - and the first primary school in Sabah - to be temporarily shut in the State due to the virus after SM Sains Lahad Datu, SM Sains Kota Kinabalu, SM Kebangsaan Bandaraya and SM Agama Kota Kinabalu.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said health authorities confirmed two pupils had the virus, with 11 pupils from the school down with suspected H1N1 symptoms.
Meanwhile, Shan Tao headmaster Goh Teck Seng said the two H1N1-confirmed pupils, both in Primary Three, had not travelled abroad, pointing out they could have contracted the virus locally.
He also said more than 300 pupils did not turn up to school on Tuesday, after one of the pupils was confirmed with the virus the previous day and news of suspected H1N1 cases were reported in the papers, adding there were more than 1,700 pupils in the school.
Claiming that a Primary Six pupil from the school also tested positive to the virus the same day, he said, the school was closed at about 11am after a discussion between the school administration and health authorities following the pupils developing the flu symptoms.
Health authorities went to the school on Monday, checking and clearing the teaching staff of the virus before screening the pupils.
The school's Parents Teachers Association Chairman, Fung Mou Poon, then organised the pupils in two groups for the health authorities to inspect, to which later they found eight pupils having high fever.
The pupils were isolated at the canteen before their parents came and took them for a check at the hospital. They were later told to go on home quarantine.
A notice by the Health Office was pasted at the entrance, ordering for the temporary closure of the school until Aug. 2.
The pupils were also advised to stay in home quarantine and told to refrain from visiting public places.
If any of them developed symptoms including a body temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius, they should seek immediate medical attention. The school's alumni Chairman, Dr Hiew King Cheu, who is also the MP, also visited the school.
In TENOM, the interior recorded its first confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) case when swab test on a youth from Kampung Baru Jumpa turned out positive.
District Hospital Director, Dr Mohd Ferous Alias said the youth had sought medical treatment complaining of fever at the hospital on Sunday.
"The naso pharangeal swab from the youth was sent to the laboratory in Bukit Padang and the result obtained on Monday was positive," he said.
However, Dr Mohd Ferous advised the public not to panic because the H1N1 virus situation is not at a serious level in the district.
He said the youth whose condition was stable had been allowed to return to his house for home quarantine.
The youth who had just returned from a cadet training programme in Melaka thought he had a normal cold when seeking treatment at the district hospital.
Dr Mohd Ferous said the Health Department was now monitoring the youth and health condition of the community in the surrounding area.
In KENINGAU, the district's new Hospital Director, Dr William Gotulis, said no H1N1 case detected so far.
He said the district new hospital had applied for 10 doctors and two specialist doctors as well as additional ambulances.
At the moment, the hospital has eight specialist doctors, 25 doctors and five contract foreign doctors (two of them had their contract expired and another resigned), he said when asked to comment on complaints by the public on the quality of service.
"Everywhere in Sabah there are shortage of doctors or medical personnel and we have submitted to the higher ups our applications for more doctors and additional equipment," he said.
According to Kapitan Cina, Chee En Kong he received complaints from the public that they had to wait for quite a long time before they could see the doctors in the district new hospital.
He said many of the people seeking medical treatment here are from Kemabong, Pagalungan and Sook.
"Some have to stay in town for two to three days before they could see the doctors," he said.
