Miri Resort City.com | MiriCity.my - Health

87.53% Decrease in Dengue Cases Compared to 2010

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:36:48 +0800

The year ends with a statistics of dengue cases in Miri, with almost 90% decrease of dengue cases for the year 2011 compared to last year. The number of dengue cases are less than 10 cases per month by the end of November, with 93 cases compared to 746 cases in 2010. It is not known if these are confirmed cases or suspected cases.

When compared to 2007-2009 figures, 93 cases seemed fairly normal as the (missing) statistics of 2010 spike of 746 cases seemed like an anomaly.

2010	746
2011 (November)	93

See 2007-2009 figures

Source

August 7th 2010 : No directive from the Health Ministry to collect or test the imported ‘Wang Wang" Rice Crackers Yet

Sat, 7 Aug 2010 13:26:53 +0800

No action on ‘Wang Wang’ rice crackers in Miri as yet

Divisional Health Officer Dr Faizul Mansoor said the department would spring into action the moment the directive was received.

“This (action) is a normal procedure when it comes to food safety,�? he said when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.

On Wednesday, authorities in China confirmed the presence of coliform and Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria in ‘Wang Wang’ rice crackers in Shandong Province.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai issued a media statement on Thursday that his ministry was stepping up scrutiny on this product. Samples have also been collected for laboratory tests.

Liow said Malaysia had imported 334,460 boxes of the rice crackers but he was not sure how many were still in the market or whether they were contaminated.

The product is now placed at Level 5 of the Food Safety Information Malaysia (Fosim), which required the product to undergo analysis before release into the market.

At the same times, the ministry is also liaising with its Chinese counterpart to obtain more details on the matter, particularly to trace the source of the product that was exported to Malaysia.

Meanwhile, a random check by The Borneo Post at Boulevard Hypermarket & Department Store Sdn Bhd found that the management took the initiative to remove the crackers from the shelves out of concern for public safety. Its managing director Raymond Lim, however, said the removal might only be a temporary measure.

“We are not banning the product. We will start selling it again once the ministry gives the green light that the rice crackers are safe for consumption,�? he explained.

Source : Borneo Post

4 March 2010 - Dry Weather In Miri Taking Its Toll

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 10:24:15 +0800

Dry Weather In Miri Taking Its Toll

MIRI, - The dry weather in Miri Division over the last three weeks is taking its toll on the people, with over 1,000 rural folk being in need of clean water supply and 200,000 more affected by the haze.

Miri Resident and district offices would be sending tankers to bring clean water to the affected population soon.

More at Source

Pustaka Miri: Health Talk on 'Latest Management in Joint & Back Pain'

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:31:40 +0800

Please be informed that Pustaka Miri will be organizing a public health talk entitled 'Latest Management in Joint and Back Pain'.

The event will be held on Thursday, 4th March 2010 at the library’s Auditorium starting from 2:30pm and admission is FREE.

Dr. Francis Ting Siew Sieng – Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon from Normah Medical Specialist Centre, Kuching has been invited to conduct the talk. The emphasis on the talk will be on the importance of caring for the joints and spine as well as creating awareness of the common causes, prevention steps and treatments for the conditions.

For further information, contact Ahmad Samsudin or Masni Abdullah at 085-422525 or email ahmads1@sarawaknet.gov.my .

Visit http://www.pustaka-sarawak.com for updates on the upcoming activities.

SenamRobik 2010

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:13:00 +0800

Free aerobics sessions by an experienced instructor
Time : Monday - Friday, 5:15pm
Venue: Miri City Fan Open Amphitheatre

From our friends in Pustaka.

For more information, please contact Kuswandi Kartawi at 085-422525 or email: kuswandk@sarawaknet.gov.my

Sarawak on Dengue Alert

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:18:39 +0800

Sarawak on dengue alert

MIRI: Sarawak has been put on dengue red alert following an explosion of cases – about 10 new hospital admissions in Miri alone every day.

Five people have already died – four in Miri and one in Kuching – and the number of infected cases is closing in on the 4,000 mark.

At Miri Hospital, new wards have to be found to accommodate new patients, with the city already seeing 873 cases.

More information at source

Blood Donation Today : 12th December 2009

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:42:41 +0800

Come forward to donate blood, or even informing others to come forward, will save another life and reduce the suffering of others. Successful donors will receive tokens of appreciation and refreshment will be served.

This Blood Donation drive is organized by Pustaka Miri, Mega Hotel, Lions Club of Miri Host and RTM Miri. Alternatively, please call Blood Bank if you are willing to come forward now at 085-416657/ 428032

Date : 12 Dec 09 - Sat
Time : 8:00am - 12:00nn
Venue : Mega Hotel's Imperial Ballroom, Level 4

Shocking Dengue Fever Figures

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:22:58 +0800

The council has released monthly report dengue suspected/positive cases figures up until Novemeber this year, a huge jump from previous two years. Miri is one of the areas worst hit in Sarawak as dengue cases as accounted for 21.7 per cent of the 3,247 dengue cases reported throughout Sarawak.

Link

1st October 2009 - Diarrhoea, vomiting outbreak in Niah

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 09:36:33 +0800

MIRI: Nearly 200 people in the Niah district have been hit by an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting since last Friday, prompting authorities to investigate. Between 30 and 50 cases have been reported daily by the local government health clinic as well as two private clinics.

“We are still investigating the cases to determine the actual cause,�? said a spokesman from the Health Department here.

The officer said a team has been sent to Batu Niah to identify why so many patients were suffering the same symptoms.

One man contacted The Borneo Post yesterday to say that two of his daughters and one son had been treated at the Batu Niah Health Clinic on Monday.

“I was surprised to see many other patients seeking treatment for diarrhoea and vomiting there,�? said the man, who is a government servant.

He said residents from longhouses and villages were among those seeking treatment at the clinic.

Worried residents are calling the authorities to take quick action to prevent more people from getting sick.

Meanwhile, Sibuti Member of Parliament Ahmad Lai Bujang said he had called the government clinic and water authority about the situation.

“We are looking into the matter and monitoring the situation,�? he said when contacted yesterday.

“Samples have been taken by the authorities for tests,�? he added.

He advised the public to practise strict personal hygiene and abide by the directives of the authorities.

He also said people should avoid consuming exposed food and drink only boiled water.

Source

AH1N1 Influenza Posters / Flyers

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:56:35 +0800

AH1N1 Influenza Information Posters / Flyers by the government. Click on this link to download them, print them out and place them at your workplace. The flyers are available in malay, english, chinese and tamil langauages.

Do your part in spreading the awareness, not the disease.

Miri Air Quality "Unhealthy"

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:34:42 +0800

Air Quality In Miri At Unhealthy Level, Other Areas Good Or Moderate

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Only Miri is recording unhealthy air quality with an Air Pollution Index (API) reading at 101, while most areas in the country have good or moderate air quality.

The API classification is as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (moderate), 101-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy) and 300 and above (hazardous).

Source

As a side note, considering that I was in Kuching in 1997 when the API reading went up to 890+ and visibility 20m, this is probably not going to shorten my lifespan any more than it already is.

4th August 2009 - El Nino drying up Sarawak

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:47:01 +0800

MIRI: With the supply of fresh water dwindling to critical levels in interior Sarawak, schoolchildren have resorted to washing dishes and bathing in dirty ponds and polluted streams.

The drought is worsening in many northern and central districts.

Things are made worse when the gravity water-feed systems that provide fresh water to longhouses and schools are not functioning properly due to the lack of mountain water.

Rainwater storage tanks have also dried up, underground wells are also depleted and rivers have become muddy and too polluted for drinking and washing.

The Star found SK Lusong Laku in the deepest interior of Kapit division — about an 11-hour journey from Belaga — where primary schoolchildren wash cups, plates, spoons and themselves in dirty streams, which resemble drains.

Ulu Rejang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo said the gravity-feed water supply systems were now being adversely affected by low pressure due to a lack of mountain water.

“There is no rain,�? he said.

He added that the rivers were dirty and muddy due to logging debris and erosion and the water could not be used for drinking or washing dishes.

“Anyway, it is too dangerous to expect little kids to wash in these rivers, so they have no choice but to depend on the streams,�? he added.

He said the streams used to be clean and flowed smoothly.

In northern Sarawak, the situation was also worsening in Ulu Baram as the weather had become very hot and dry.

Open-burning, which had started again in the Miri Division, has worsened the situation.

Source

4th August 2009 - Mother Suffering from Influenza Dies

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:20:38 +0800

...in Miri, a 24-year-old woman suffering from Influenza A(H1N1) died at 4am on Monday, a mere two weeks after giving birth to her first child at the intensive care unit of the Miri Hospital.

Her baby girl is safe. The woman was warded on July 17 after she contracted the disease. At that time she was already in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

The hospital managed to help her deliver a baby girl a few days after she was warded. The baby has been handed over to her father, a labourer in his late 20s.

“This is the first death in Sarawak due to A(H1N1).

Source

Our condolences to the families of those affected. Be sure to read through this link to learn more about AH1N1 and its possible preventions.

Brunei-Based Sarawakian Contracts A(H1N1)

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 18:08:10 +0800

MIRI, July 5 (Bernama) -- A 41-year-old man working in Brunei became the first person here to contract the Influenza A (H1N1).

The man who returned here last Friday, was advised to seek treatment at the divisional hospital after he was found to have flu symptoms during medical examination at the Sungai Tujuh checkpoint at the Malaysia-Brunei border, about 40km from here.

The result of a medical examination on the man was sent to Kuala Lumpur where he was confirmed to have contracted the swine flu.

The man and his family have been self-quarantined.

The confirmation came just three days after Brunei recorded its first H1N1-related death of a 12-year-old girl.

Anyone developing flu syntoms should immediately consult their doctor.

Scientists are still learning more about the risk profile of the virus, but it is already known that the following people are particularly susceptible:
people with:

- chronic lung disease,
- chronic heart disease,
- chronic kidney disease,
- chronic liver disease,
- chronic neurological disease,
- immunosuppression (whether caused by
disease or treatment) and
- diabetes mellitus,
- patients who have had drug treatment for asthma within the past three years,
pregnant women, people aged 65 years and older, and young children under five years old.

It is vital that people in these higher-risk groups who catch swine flu get antivirals and start taking them as soon as possible.

To read more about h1n1 flu prevention, please see here.

28th June 2009 - Sarawak closer to producing anti-HIV, cancer drugs

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:52:20 +0800

Sarawak closer to producing anti-HIV, cancer drugs

MIRI: Two researches carried out by the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) on drugs obtained from local plant species to fight Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer were now in their final stages.

The anti-HIV drug, obtained from Calanolide which is contained in the latex of Bintangor or Calophyllum tree, was now in the clinical trial stage that, among others, would test its side-effects before the drug could be available commercially.

The tests would still take sometime to be completed and would be carried out in collaboration with foreign researchers.

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