A group of doctors in Penang defended the Health Ministry's handling of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) outbreak which has claimed more than 150 lives worldwide.

Speaking at 'The truth of Sars' seminar in the state last night, cardiologist Dr o­ng Hean Teik said the reason why the ministry had been slow to report the cases was because of doctors' ignorance about the disease.

He asked the media to report o­nly the truth regarding the outbreak and not to source all sorts of information to meet deadlines.

The doctor also requested the media to be 'patient' while medical experts try to crack the mystery surrounding this disease, which is believed to have originated in China.

"We really do not know what causes Sars, we can't test for it. We're not trying to hide (anything)," he told the 200-odd audience.

"We really do not know and we do not have ready answers. But people say we are trying to be evasive," he added.

Information woes

Ong was responding to questions from journalists who wanted to know why the 'truth' about the Sars outbreak in Penang could not be obtained from local doctors or the state health director Dr Azmi Shafie.

Ong was also questioned why there was no information o­n the eight suspected cases warded in the Penang General Hospital since the beginning of April and why the first probable case in the state who was admitted o­n April 5 was o­nly revealed to the public a few days later.

"You keep asking us to report the truth but we can't get the truth, not even from Dr Azmi. He has to wait for Kuala Lumpur to announce," o­ng said.

Malaysiakini then asked, "Why is that happening? Is it because the highest authority in the Health Ministry can then decide what to report and what not to report?" But no answer came forth.

Meanwhile, Azmi, who was also o­ne of the panelists, said the release of information o­n the disease had to be centralised to prevent confusion and panic.

He explained that if there was no proper coordination between the local health departments and the ministry, rumours would abound and create a negative impact o­n the country.

"If everyone talks about numbers, then everyone will panic. A suspect or probable case is sometimes not straightforward.

"A suspect may seek treatment in the morning, by afternoon, we may review the case and find that he is not a suspect after all.

"He could be probable today, but tomorrow he is good, we may reclassify him as not a Sars patient at all," he said.

Azmi also detailed the steps and measures taken by the state health department in containing the disease.

Accountability issue

Another panelist, the Star executive editor Wong Chun Wai, welcomed the idea of a centralised information source.

Currently, the Health Ministry holds daily press conferences in Kuala Lumpur to update the public o­n the disease.

The veteran journalist said such a method is necessary so that the media can hold someone responsible for the issue.

"Whether right or wrong, at least we know who is responsible," he said.

Chest physician Dr Ronnie Chong later spoke o­n the clinical aspects of how to recognise Sars.

He went through the various symptoms present in a Sars victims but added that there was no proven therapy for the disease.

However, Chong said the public should not panic as the disease has a mortality rate of o­nly four percent, adding that pneumonia may have a mortality rate as high as 50 percent.

The seminar was held to assure people that the disease was containable and that there were higher annual death rates for other problems like malaria (one million) tuberculosis (2.3 million) and the common flu (250,000 to 500,000).

Participants were further assured by being asked to compare the number of Sars-related deaths and accident fatalities which occur in Penang.