Mystery disease leaves 39 people, including students, ill in Yan
ALOR STAR: A yet-to-be-identified disease has left 39 people, including secondary school students and staff in Yan, ill.
Housing, Local Government and Health Committee chairman Mansor Zakaria said the victims were displaying symptoms of fever, cough and rash.
The victims include Form Four students and staff of a Kuala Muda school who attended a private training camp in Yan.
"A total of 763 students and staff from the school participated in the training," he said.
Mansor said the students are being treated at the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital.
"They are in stable condition," he told the New Straits Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
GPs: Outdated fees make practice a hard pill to swallow
KUALA LUMPUR: Outdated consultation fees and rising operational costs are squeezing general practitioners (GPs), forcing them to see more patients daily just to stay afloat. Consultation fees are regulated under Schedule 7 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Regulations. The fees were last revised in 1992, before construction of the Petronas Twin Towers, and are fixed between RM10 and RM35. The government is currently studying a possible increase. Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia president Dr Shanmuganathan T.V. Ganesan said a typical clinic needed at least RM40,000 a month to operate. This covers rent, wages, utilities, maintenance, medical supplies and statutory contributions, excluding the GP owner's or doctors' salaries and loan repayments. Dr Shanmuganathan said based on a flat RM30 consultation fee per patient, and excluding revenue from medicine or additional services, a GP would need to see about 53 patients a day to break even — nearly three times the actual average. "Unfortunately, consultation fees are no longer sufficient to sustain clinic operations. "Rising costs in wages, medical consumables, digital systems and regulatory compliance, especially with new price display mandates, have compounded the financial burden," he told the New Straits Times. The Malaysian Medical Association has called for a minimum RM60 consultation fee. On Thursday, the association urged the government to expedite cabinet approval for the revised rates, warning that continued delays could threaten the survival of private clinics nationwide. On May 3, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad indicated that revisions would be finalised within a month. Dr Shanmuganathan said many patients required time-consuming consultations, counselling and emergency care, services that are often uncompensated. Clinics are also required to stock life-saving medications, many of which have short shelf lives and go unused. Former Johor assemblyman and practising GP Dr Boo Cheng Hau said a sustainable clinic needed to see at least 15 patients a day, five to six days a week, charging RM70 to RM100 per visit, including medication. He said the public must be educated on what constitutes a fair consultation fee. "For instance, for uncomplicated cough and cold cases, the market price in my area is about RM70 to RM80, inclusive of consultation and medication." he said. "Often, doctors have to lower their consultation fees to meet market demand, as medication costs exceed the consultation fee itself." PROFITS FROM MEDICINES Dr Shanmuganathan said many clinics were not operating on conventional "profits", as current consultation fees alone cannot sustain operations. To stay afloat, clinics often rely on modest profits from medicine sales. "This is not profiteering, but a pragmatic workaround in a system that restricts doctors from transparently charging for other professional services, such as nursing care, regulatory compliance, equipment use or consumables," he said. He estimated that a clinic spending RM12,000 per month on medicine stock might generate RM15,000 to RM17,000 in revenue, leaving a slim profit margin of RM3,000 to RM5,000. Additional revenue comes from procedural fees, health screenings and medical report preparation, but these are irregular and often underpriced due to market pressure. Dr Shanmuganathan said the recent implementation of medicine price display mandates had worsened matters. The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy previously warned that the rule could lead more consumers to request prescriptions and buy medicines at lower prices from pharmacies. Its chief executive, Azrul Mohd Khalib, said while patients had every right to do so, this trend could undermine clinics' sustainability, as consultation fees remained low. "GPs hesitate to itemise every charge — nursing, registration, equipment use — for fear of alienating patients or appearing to overcharge," he said. AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION Both Dr Shanmuganathan and Dr Boo said Malaysia should adopt a national health scheme to address the crisis. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service is funded primarily through general taxation, supported by National Insurance contributions. These fund services such as GP visits, hospital care and prescriptions. In November 2023, then health minister Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said Malaysia was exploring a national health insurance scheme involving contributions from employees, employers and the government. However, it has yet to materialise. Dr Boo said insurance policies must also cover outpatient management and GP visits, not just hospitalisation. He urged the government to raise its health spending from four per cent of the gross domestic product to between five and 10 per cent, in line with advanced nations. Dr Shanmuganathan added that such a scheme was necessary to strengthen healthcare financing and service delivery. He also proposed revising the GP consultation fee range to between RM50 and RM100, depending on case complexity. "It is important to recognise that these fees represent payment for the doctor's professional services and should not be subject to arbitrary discrimination," he said. "Doctors with the same qualifications should be paid fairly and equitably for the same scope of work."
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Kedah farm animals free to move ahead of Aidiladha, except Ulu Melaka
ALOR STAR: Farm animals can move freely across Kedah ahead of tomorrow's Aidiladha celebration, with only the Ulu Melaka area in Langkawi still under movement restrictions. The Ulu Melaka area remains a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control zone following an outbreak last month. Kedah Veterinary Services Department director, Dr Shaharul Amar Talib said: "At present, there are no movement restrictions on farm animals throughout Kedah, except in the Ulu Melaka area in Langkawi." However, the livestock movement ban in and out of Ulu Melaka, imposed on May 19, remains in place, he told NST. Dr Shaharul said livestock movement restriction was being enforced in the area to prevent the disease from spreading and to keep other animals safe. He urged farmers and animal suppliers to follow the rules, adding that if anyone needs to move animals in or out of that area, they must get official permission (a permit) first. Last month, the department restricted livestock movement in and out of Ulu Melaka following an outbreak of FMD, a highly contagious viral infection that affected 37 head of cattle. In preparation for the Aidiladha celebration, Dr Shaharul said the department has issued a total of 442 qurban (sacrificial livestock) movement permits. "We expect this number to keep rising as Hari Raya Qurban approaches. The department will continue to closely monitor livestock movements to ensure smooth operations and a sufficient supply of sacrificial animals throughout the state," he said.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Animal rights groups call for action after lizards smuggled from India
KUALA LUMPUR: Animal welfare groups are calling for greater public awareness of the consequences of wildlife trafficking, following reports of a passenger smuggling two monitor lizards from Malaysia to India. They described the incident as an act of cruelty and stressed the urgent need for stronger enforcement and better public understanding of the impact of such crimes. Malaysia Animal Association president Arie Dwi Andika said the authorities must better educate the public and traders on the proper procedures for obtaining licences for exotic animals, to prevent illegal smuggling. He said the individual involved could face charges under two provisions of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Peninsular Malaysia), for smuggling and animal cruelty. He added that those who deal with or trade in wildlife need to ensure all activities are carried out lawfully, to avoid breaching both local and international laws. "The issue now is that by breaking the law, it's not just our domestic regulations that are violated, but international implications are involved as well, and this ultimately harms the image and credibility of the government," he told the New Straits Times today. These comments come after Indian customs officials intercepted a passenger arriving at Tiruchirappalli International Airport from Kuala Lumpur with two monitor lizards hidden in his checked baggage. Photos released by authorities showed the two reptiles with their mouths and limbs tightly bound and wrapped in black cloth. Meanwhile, the Stray Animal Association of Malaysia president R. Kalaivanan said public education campaigns are essential to raise awareness of the environmental and legal consequences of trafficking. He said transporting them in confined and unnatural conditions cause extreme suffering, stress, and often death. Kalaivanan said the association strongly opposes such inhumane acts and remains committed to protecting vulnerable wildlife from exploitation. "It is imperative that authorities and airlines take immediate and comprehensive actions to prevent wildlife trafficking. "We urge for the implementation of cutting-edge technologies and stronger inspection protocols at all entry points, and staff must be thoroughly trained to identify and report suspicious activities, with heightened vigilance during peak travel periods," he said. Kalaivanan said the association is also committed to working with local and international agencies to push for policy reforms that prioritise wildlife protection at all levels. Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim had said they have yet to receive any reports on the smuggling.
