Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al Ali, Head of the Food Inspection Unit in the Food Control Department cited the increasing population, an unexpected increase in foodstuff establishments, the diversity of cultures and dietary habits, and the increase in the number and quality of the food industries as the reason for the changes.

He also sighted the emergence of unexpected contaminants (melamine in milk products and salmonella in peanut butter and chocolate) as a reason for the proposed change in the system.

Al Ali, in the presentation of his paper “Dubai Municipality
Food Inspection Programmes — Between the present and the future”, pointed out that the food inspection system is a key part of food control operations.

“This [the food inspections] is to protect public health and safety of consumers by ensuring food safety during transportation, storage, preparation and offering food.

“It is done through formulating inspection systems and legislation.” he said.

Staff Report

© Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.

Deputy Chairman of the Society’s Board of Directors and Consultant of Chest Diseases and Intensive Care lieutenant Colonel Dr. Yasser bin Hussein Mandourah expressed his appreciation of and thanks to the Crown Prince for his support for the activities of the Society.

He praised the unlimited support provided by the Crown Prince for the Society, and his support for the Conference of Critical Care, the first and the biggest one in the Kingdom, to be held under the auspices of the Crown Prince on April 25-29.

© Saudi Press Agency 2010

To date, 128 people have been treated and discharged.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr.Liow Tiong Lai said most of the patients who tested positive for the virus had visited Australia. There were 13 such cases.

Other imported cases were from Indonesia (7), Thailand (4), the Philippines (9), Singapore (2), China (2), while Brunei, New Zealand and Turkey had one case each.

Liow said the eight local transmissions involved five students from Sekolah Menengah Tsun Jin, Cheras, and one who was in contact with a positive influenza A patient, a stewardess who returned to the country from Australia on June 27.

He also said that Malaysia was a safe destination for tourists.

The minister held an hour-long closed-door briefing with 26 MPs at a room in Parliament on the situation and the measures taken to contain the virus from spreading.

Also present were Health director-general Tan Sri Dr. Ismail Merican and ministry’s Communicable Disease Control director Datuk Dr. Hasan Abdul Rahman.

“The outcome was encouraging. The MPs have shown great support and agreed to organise activities at community level to inform the people of the severity of the virus.

“I am also glad that non-governmental organisations have come forward to help us create awareness of influenza A,” said Liow at the parliament lobby after the briefing.

Among the opposition MPs were Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), Hee Loy Sian (PKR-Petaling Jaya Selatan) and Jeff Ooi (DAP-Jelutong).

On Tuesday, Fong had urged the ministry to hold the briefing as there were many unanswered questions during the hour-long debate on an emergency motion on influenza A.

Dr. Ismail and Liow elaborated on questions raised yesterday, including on health screenings at the airports and early symptoms of the virus.

Later, Liow urged private companies to sponsor masks and to take part in corporate social responsibility programmes organised by the ministry.

“We have seen the number of cases going up exponentially and it is time to take strict precautionary measures.

“The inter-government agencies have also been working closely to curb the virus, even though we are still in the containment stage.”

On those performing the haj in December, Liow said the pilgrims would be administered with seasonal-flu vaccines, a practice that was being done every year.

“Malaysia is free from the outbreak so it is safe to visit Saudi Arabia. It’s up to their government to take own measures, like having border screenings.”

Influenza A(H1N1) cases yesterday shot pass the 2,000 mark, while the fatality count stayed at seven.

The 231 new confirmed cases reported yesterday brought the overall figure to 2,076, of which all have been treated except for 33 patients who remain hospitalised.

Phaijit Warachit, deputy permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, warned people with flu symptoms against taking aspirin, which could possibly lead to Reye’s syndrome - a potentially fatal disease that can harm the brain and liver.

Instead, the drug paracetamol was advised.

Another first aid technique is to reduce body temperature by wettowelling patients in a direction toward their heart, or behind their body joints.

All of the 800plus government hospitals are set to establish a special mechanism to admit people with flu symptoms - through a quicker process separated from other patients to minimise exposure to other people.

Special isolation rooms would also be needed for people with flu symptoms in hospitals that can afford to arrange them.

A medical team of experts in the treatment of respiratory diseases has been put on standby around the clock to advise both state and private hospitals across the country.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai visited to all four provinces in the East while his deputy Manit Nopamornbodi toured Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Ratchaburi to promote the ministry’s campaign to “Eat hot, use the middle spoons and keep your hands clean”.

Manit called on youths to stay home during the fiveday weekend rather than go to video game shops, tutorial schools and other crowded places.

He visited a team of doctors at Ratchaburi General Hospital who treated a person who became the country’s seventh death due to the flu. One of the doctors has had the flu for three days and is now held in quarantine for special treatment.

In Chachoengsao, a 18yearold man died of lung complications after falling sick for four days. His symptoms included high fever and high body temperature before he started coughing up blood.

Suthin Thongloh was admitted on Friday and pronounced dead yesterday afternoon. The results of his lab tests and autopsy will be available soon.

In Yala, a patient with the disease was recovering at the provincial general hospital. There is no other reported case in this southern province, said Dr Sawas Aphiwajjaneewong, chief of the provincial public health office.

“Malaysia will join them if we down play all the measures and this could lead to untold problems, including closures of schools, workplaces and even businesses.” Dr Ismail was responding to Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen’s comment that the media need to report fairly about the disease, such as by showing it was not as virulent or deadly as SARS.

She said the tourism industry was being affected by the media reports. “We are talking about people’s health and lives. “We are catching people with symptoms early so that they can be treated and sent home instead of them suffering from complications and eventually succumbing to it,” Dr Ismail said of the stringent measures taken.

He supported the media’s reporting, describing it as being not over-dramatic. He said the Health Ministry was not over-reacting or going overboard in their preventive measures but taking proactive measures in handling the outbreak.

Dr Ismail warned that the present pandemic was very challenging as the disease was highly contagious, although it was mild to moderate in severity. He said it was important that the public realise that a second wave of the pandemic caused by a more virulent virus and with more severe consequences may hit our shores at any time.

“So it is important that the public and all healthcare providers in the country be well equipped with the right information and pay careful attention to the advice given by our ministry.” The World Health Organisation reported 71,076 confirmed cases with 311 deaths in 116 countries, as of yesterday.