PUTRAJAYA: All private medical practitioners are to fill up forms for every single influenza A (H1N1) patient that they attend to and submit them to the Health Ministry daily.
Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this system would enable the government to closely monitor the severity of the H1N1 pandemic.
Private doctors nationwide were also issued guidelines and flowcharts in handling H1N1 patients that sought treatment from them.
"We have underlined the kind of speedy and right treatments that should be extended to patients and the doctors should understand the guidelines and what are expected of them," Liow said after a dialogue and briefing session with representatives from the Malaysian Medical Association, Private Hospital Association, the Malaysian Private Medical Practitioners Federation, Malaysia Primary Care Doctors' Organisation and Malaysia Doctors' Cooperative at his office yesterday.
Liow said the doctors were reminded that in adhering to the flowchart, they were expected to immediately refer patients with moderate and severe H1N1 symptoms to a government or private hospital.
Health officers at all district level had also been told to improve their networking with general practitioners at clinics in their areas to increase public awareness of the H1N1.
During the dialogue, the issue of insufficient supply of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu was raised. Liow gave the assurance that the government would address the issue speedily.
He said the government had to date spent about RM20 million on anti-viral drugs and more would be forked out to meet the demand.
The drugs cost between RM140 to RM160. However, Liow said he already had the undertaking of some suppliers that they would slash the price to RM80.
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