6 theSun | THURSDAY MAY 14 2009

news without borders

Man admitted for tests

after visit to Thailand
IPOH: A 51-year-old man who
visited Thailand last weekend
was admitted to Raja Permaisuri
Bainun Hospital here yesterday
after he developed symptoms
similar to those of Influenza
A(H1N1), which has now been
detected in 33 countries.
The man was admitted at
12.40pm after he was found
to be suffering from flu, cough,
fever and diarrhoea when he
sought treatment at Taiping
Hospital earlier, Perak health
committee chairman Datuk Dr
Mah Hang Soon said.
As a precautionary measure,
the hospital conducted several
tests to ascertain the cause of
his illness.
“His blood samples have
been sent to the Institute for
Medical Research in Kuala
Lumpur and the results are ex-
pected to be known tomorrow
(Thursday),” Mah told reporters
in his office.
He said Malaysia was free
of the Influenza A(H1N1) but
precautionary measures had
to be taken.
In Kuching, a woman who
just returned from Massachu-
setts, United States has been
admitted to the isolation ward
of the Sarawak General Hospital
as a precautionary measure be-
cause she displayed symptoms
akin to Influenza A(H1N1).
Deputy Chief Minister Tan
Sri Dr George Chan said the
55-year-old woman had cough,
fever and flu.
He said she was admitted
to the isolation ward at midday
today and had been placed
under observation. “Clinical
samples are being tested at the
Institute for Medical Research.
The results will be known at the
latest by tomorrow morning.”
In Kuala Lumpur, Health
Director-General Tan Sri Dr
Mohd Ismail Merican said
in a statement the Health
Ministry’s Crisis Preparedness
and Response Centre (CPRC)
had been notified of five other
cases admitted to hospitals for
checks and observations as at
midnight on Tuesday.
Three of the cases were
at Sungai Buloh Hospital and
the other two at Tuanku Jaafar
Hospital in Seremban.
“The outcome of laboratory
tests on four cases found them
to be negative, while another is
awaiting result,” he said.
“So far, no influenza A(H1N1)
has been detected in our coun-
try.”
Ismail said that according
to a report by the World Health
Organisation, three more coun-
tries have detected influenza
A(H1N1) cases, bringing the
total number of countries af-
fected by the pandemic to 33.
The countries are Thailand,
with two cases, Finland (two
cases) and Cuba (one).
The WHO report also said the
number of cases had increased
to 5,287, including 61 deaths,
with the latest eight fatalities
in Mexico. – Bernama

placed at the academy to monitor a total of 81

trainees. – Bernama

briefs Chikungunya spreads to

More being treated following
meningitis outbreak
PUTRAJAYA: The number of trainees from the
Road Transport Department (RTD) Academy in
Malacca being treated following an epidemic
suspected to be meningitis rose to 46 yesterday
from 38 cases the day before.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd
Ismail Merican said two cases were being
treated at the intensive care unit (ICU) of
Malacca Hospital, and they were expected to
be taken out of the ICU ward today, while the
rest were being treated at the isolation ward.
“The 44 cases placed in the isolation ward
comprise 39 trainees, one trainer, a woman
who had contacted one of the trainees, two
trainee radiographers and a trainee nurse,” he
said in a statement here.
On May 4, a trainee of the academy died
while on the way to the hospital and three
were admitted to the ICU because of the
meningitis outbreak. Eighty-five others were
quarantined.
Ismail said a medical team was still being
two more districts
ALOR STAR: The Chikungunya viral disease
detected in the Pokok Sena and Pendang
districts of Kedah has spread to two more
districts – Kota Star and Padang Terap.
Kedah Director of Health Datuk Dr
Hasnah Ismail said yesterday the health
department had detected two cases in
Kampung Baru in the Kota Star district and
several cases in Kampung Baru Naka, Kam-
pung Padang Kerasak, Kampung Tong Plu,
Kampung Banggol Pong, Kampung Padang
Setol and Kampung Malau in the Padang
Terap district.
“Health teams are carrying out spraying
to control the spread of the vector-borne
disease,” she said in a statement.
Hasnah appealed for the cooperation of
the people in taking preventive measures by
keeping their surroundings clean and getting
rid of vessels in the open which could trap
water and allow mosquitoes to breed.
She advised farmers and tappers to
wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
to prevent bites by mosquitoes, which
are carriers of the virus that causes the
disease. – Bernama

Why no takers for these PPR

low-cost flats
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: City Hall is
studying several measures to
solve the problem of excess
units in the People’s Housing
Programme (PPR) that have no
takers.
Mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad
Ismail told reporters yesterday
that while many squatters
and longhouse dwellers have
refused to move into PPR flats,
there were some 20,000 people
on the waiting list for low-cost
housing in the city.
He said many PPR housing
schemes have allocations to be
sold to the residents but many
families have complained that
they cannot purchase these
houses as they have difficulty
securing bank loans.
“Many also complained that
the units are located far from
their original residence and
place of work,” said Ahmad
Fuad.
“Those who had not made
an application for the PPR
houses should come and see
us,” he said.
Ahmad Fuad said City Hall
is willing to look at the situa-
tion on a case-by-case basis
and will give priority to those
whose parents had previously
lived in PPR houses and had
since passed away.
Based on City Hall statistics,
as of the last month, there
were 3,668 units of vacant PPR
houses. A total of 5,660 units
are currently under construc-
tion while 27,729 units have
been completed since 1999.
The PPR scheme was an
initiative to house squatter and
longhouse dwellers officially
identified in the 1998 census
in temporary government-built
low-cost high-rise flats.
These were supposed to
be built in the same locality,
on renewable five-year leases
and rented out at a subsidised
monthly rental.
Federal Territories Minister
Senator Datuk Raja Nong Chik
Raja Zainal Abidin recently
urged City Hall to conduct a
comprehensive study on the al-
location on PPR units, and look
into issues affecting such hous-
ing such as the low number of
takers, maintenance of lifts and
facilities, as well as the safety
of residents.