News / International
Zimbabwean student in Malaysia placed in an isolation hospital ward
16 Sep 2014 at 09:23hrs | Views
KUCHING - A 24-year-old Zimbabwean studying here has been placed in an isolation ward at the Sarawak General Hospital with fever but authorities said there is no link at the moment to the Ebola disease.
"He is coughing but not vomiting or suffering from diarrhoea. We are just taking high precautionary measures," said Sarawak Assistant Public Health Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, adding that it was the flu season and the extraordinary measures were activated because the patient fit the (Ebola) profile.
The patient reported himself on Saturday at the Kuching Specialist Centre, complaining of fever.
"He said he came in contact with students who had returned from Nigeria. The private hospital took all precautions even though the patient showed no serious Ebola symptoms," Dr Jerip told a hastily arranged conference yesterday when rumours ran wild online.
On Sunday, the patient was moved to an isolation ward at the Sarawak General Hospital.
Samples were taken for tests and the US Centers for Disease Control had been informed, Dr Jerip said, adding that the results should be available later this week.
Speculation about Ebola came about after photographs of an A4-sized quarantine warning at the hospital emerged online yesterday.
Dr Jerip called for calm, saying rumours were just that - rumours.
"There's already unnecessary anxiety. We have established the Nigerians who came into contact with our patient under investigation are currently all very healthy. Don't panic but do be cautious," he said.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement the case was not believed to be Ebola for now.
"Zimbabwe is not listed by the World Health Organisation as a nation that is infected by it. The patient also has no history of international travel and no history of contact with any Ebola patients 21 days before showing the symptoms. Investigations have been carried out. The case is not suspected to be Ebola for now," he said.
He said the patient had fever, sore throat and cough starting Saturday, adding that he was being treated for respiratory infection and was in stable condition.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam posted on Facebook that "a person of African descent can, like most of us, develop a cold, flu, or a viral fever. To label all such cases as suspected Ebola is preposterous".
"It is true that we have investigated a couple of people of West African descent who had febrile illness. None turned out to be Ebola.
"No one gains from creating panic," he added.
"He is coughing but not vomiting or suffering from diarrhoea. We are just taking high precautionary measures," said Sarawak Assistant Public Health Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, adding that it was the flu season and the extraordinary measures were activated because the patient fit the (Ebola) profile.
The patient reported himself on Saturday at the Kuching Specialist Centre, complaining of fever.
"He said he came in contact with students who had returned from Nigeria. The private hospital took all precautions even though the patient showed no serious Ebola symptoms," Dr Jerip told a hastily arranged conference yesterday when rumours ran wild online.
On Sunday, the patient was moved to an isolation ward at the Sarawak General Hospital.
Samples were taken for tests and the US Centers for Disease Control had been informed, Dr Jerip said, adding that the results should be available later this week.
Speculation about Ebola came about after photographs of an A4-sized quarantine warning at the hospital emerged online yesterday.
Dr Jerip called for calm, saying rumours were just that - rumours.
"There's already unnecessary anxiety. We have established the Nigerians who came into contact with our patient under investigation are currently all very healthy. Don't panic but do be cautious," he said.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement the case was not believed to be Ebola for now.
"Zimbabwe is not listed by the World Health Organisation as a nation that is infected by it. The patient also has no history of international travel and no history of contact with any Ebola patients 21 days before showing the symptoms. Investigations have been carried out. The case is not suspected to be Ebola for now," he said.
He said the patient had fever, sore throat and cough starting Saturday, adding that he was being treated for respiratory infection and was in stable condition.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam posted on Facebook that "a person of African descent can, like most of us, develop a cold, flu, or a viral fever. To label all such cases as suspected Ebola is preposterous".
"It is true that we have investigated a couple of people of West African descent who had febrile illness. None turned out to be Ebola.
"No one gains from creating panic," he added.
Source - The Star/Asia News Network
