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10th July, 2009
PENANG: The public must prioritise personal hygiene and take responsibility for their health to protect themselves from being infected with the A(H1N1) influenza virus.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said that although the government had taken many measures to control the spread of the virus, the public should also keep improving their personal hygiene regime.
“The public cannot be lackadaisical about their daily health routine and it’s time they play their individual roles as the last bastion in preventing the influenza infection,” he told reporters after launching the National Clinical Research Conference yesterday.
He said that in line with that, the Health Ministry would be launching a personal hygiene awareness campaign on July 20.
“The campaign is aimed at providing awareness to the public on how to prevent themselves from being infected with the virus, and it will be launched by the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, on July 20,” he said.
Dr Mohd Ismail said that through the campaign, the Health Department would give detailed information on personal hygiene especially in public places.
“Besides giving exposure, we will also be encouraging the public to bring liquid hand sanitizers so that they can clean their hands with convenience, and to use face masks and tissue in public places to protect themselves from getting infected with H1N1,” he said.
As at 8am yesterday, 513 influenza A(H1N1) cases have been reported in Malaysia, involving 378 imported and 135 local cases, with no deaths reported so far.
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