You're well...oops, no...you have H1N1

KUALA LUMPUR – With the Influenza A (H1N1) scare still unabated, a family here went to get nasal swabs at a private hospital to check on their health.

Furthermore, said Ezura Nasarudin, one of her sisters-in-law had already been tested H1N1 positive and had been admitted to the hospital on June 2.

As a precaution, she took six other members of her husband's family back to the hospital later that day when they showed symptoms of fever, like coughing, runny nose and high body temperature.

Among the family group was another of Ezura's sister-in-law, Aliza Norzuriani Mohd Ali.

The hospital is known to be a reputable one, with 40 resident consultants and 20 visiting consultants, supported by a 370-strong staff. It claims to have treated more than 150,000 inpatients and over a million outpatients since its inception in 1984.

With such credentials, Ezura did not expect any doctor to give the patients a wrong diagnosis.

'Robbed' by the hospital

She said the seven of them in the family took the swab tests at 9.30pm on June 2 and obtained the results at about 3am the next day.

Nevertheless, they felt relieved to be informed by the doctor in the emergency room that none of them was tested positive for H1N1.

Ezura said she paid about RM1,000 for the nasal swabs and another RM500 for a week's supply of Tamiflu vaccine -Tamiflu Vaccine Leaves Thousands Suffering- for the family.

Initially, she said, she did not mind the long wait and the medication cost but subsequent events made her feel like she had been robbed by the hospital.

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Doctor ordered another test

Relating the issue to Malaysian Mirror, Ezura said the next day she again went to the hospital because her 21-months-old daughter, Puteri Rania Allesha Mohd Irwan Rizal, was not well.

Accompanying Ezura and her child to the hospital were her mother-in-law, Noorilam Baharudin, and Aliza.

"We showed the doctor in attendance the results of the previous night's swab tests.

"To our dismay, however, the doctor said Aliza needed to take further tests.

"I was shocked to learn Aliza's results showed positive for influenza virus type A (antigen).

"Yet, we were told the previous night that it was only a normal flu and that we had nothing to be worried about," lamented Ezura.


Negligence can lead to death

She hopes that by highlighting the issue the management of the hospital - and other hospitals - will be aware that such incident had occurred.

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"Let us hope nobody dies because of such negligence," she said, adding that the service the hospital provides should be compatible to the expensive cost it charges its patients.

Ezura said the hospital should assign more experienced doctors to man the emergency room.

"Obviously, when we talk about the emergency room, the doctor in charge will have to attend to all kinds of emergencies, such as accidents and illnesses.

"But H1N1 is a silent killer. We do not know whether we will be the next casualty, except if we go to the clinics or hospitals," she said.

Another 'bad experience'

Ezura added it was not the first "bad experience" that she had encountered at the hospital.

"When my daughter was about nine months' old, I brought her to this hospital to get medication.

"The night doctor prescribed a medicine for a cold, which was actually meant to be given to an adult.

"Luckily, I had the number of the child specialist who usually sees my daughter and sought her advice.

"She quickly told the doctor to change the medicine for my child."

Officials at the hospital were not immediately available for comments.

Ministry reviews vaccine supplies

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said it is reviewing whether there is a need to increase supplies of the Influenza A (H1N1) vaccine.

About 43,000 doses are currently available, said Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

“So far, 323,703 people, including health and frontline staff, have been vaccinated,” she told reporters after attending a Kaamatan celebration at SMK Limbanak in Penampang, ndear Kota Kinabalu, on Saturday.

She said the illness was still prevalent in the country, adding that people in the high risk group should get the vaccination which was available in government hospitals and clinics nationwide.

Those not in the high-risk group could obtain the injections at private clinics and hospitals for between RM50 and RM80, she added, disclosing that 532 people were being treated currently for H1N1 throughout the country. —Malaysian Mirror

For those of you pondering about the benefits of having a flu vaccination (and I hope you have given this some thought!), perhaps I can make your decision a little easier? DON'T DO IT!