KUCHING: Parents are urged to ensure their children’s hygiene are at the highest level in order to prevent them from contracting Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD).
Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) director Dr Ngian Hie Ung said parents must also watch out for signs of infection, and be ready to sent their children for treatment quickly.
“For children, there are quite obvious signs, such as when they are not eating well,” she told the media after the state-level World Nurses Day celebration at SGH here on Friday (May 13).
She was prompted for comments on whether or not there was a concern in Sarawak following the high number of HFMD cases reported in Selangor lately.
According to a news report, Selangor Health director Datuk Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman said that a total of 6,748 HFMD cases were reported in Selangor, with the weekly number of cases exceeding the warning level, but no deaths were reported.
Based on checks by New Sarawak Tribune through the MySejahtera app on infectious disease on Friday, there were places that recorded one or two cases of HFMD infection, including Kota Samarahan, Asajaya, Sadong Jaya, Sibu, Selangau, Mukah, Miri and others in the past seven days.
In response to this, Dr Ngian said that if there were such cases reported, the patients might not get admitted to the hospital.
“This is because HFMD is a disease we will see frequently. It is not unusual. We do see it on and off. But they are not necessarily admitted to the hospital.”
For the record, Sarawak recorded an increase in HFMD cases – 615 cases from Jan 1 to 19, 2019 compared to 112 cases for the same period in 2018, with 77 per cent involving children under three years old.
