MP SPEAKS The government has a moral obligation to keep the people fully informed about the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and to promptly form an ad-hoc Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to strategise the battling against the virus.

Despite all that has been done, to date, 15 people are known to have died in South Korea from the outbreak of MERS and the total number of those infected there has risen to 145.

South Korea, which is Asia's fourth biggest economy, is grappling to cope with this untimely calamity, just when it is recovering and picking up momentum from an economic slowdown.

If a country so advanced and progressive as South Korea is dealing with this catastrophe one step at a time, one can only wonder whether Malaysia is ready to battle it out with this elusive disease once it hits our shores.

Yesterday, news of a 76-year-old woman from Brunei, with MERS-CoV and who escaped from the Miri Hospital last Friday, had set off alarm bells.

This woman performed her umrah in May and was admitted at the Miri Hospital, because hospitals in Brunei denied her medical care on June 6, after she was suspected of being infected with the deadly MERS virus. 

The nightmare of every Malaysian has come true. Knowing there is someone among us who could be carrying the virus is unimaginable and yet there has been virtually nothing on the television or the radio to warn the people about the symptoms and the epidemiology of the virus or what to do and where to go for medical advice and help.

Although Culture and Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz said on June 10 that Malaysia is experienced in handling similar outbreaks in the past and that to date, South Korean tourists are still welcome, with precautionary health screenings at the airport.

Health Ministry website ill-equipped

However, voice of assurance should have come from the prime minister, as the head of state, or at least from Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam, judging by the urgency, importance and the magnitude of this outbreak.

In fact the Health Ministry website is ill-equipped, for up to the early hours of this morning, there is still no official announcement, no public service announcement as well as no emergency contact numbers, nor details on the symptoms of the MERS-CoV infection.

As a matter of fact, ‘Maklumat Terkini Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)’, which was posted in the ministry's website on Dec 30, 2014, was the last update!

A quick comparison with the Singapore Health Ministry website clearly shows in block letters MERS-CoV right on the main page and a health advisory on June 9, listing also the recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on critical health precautions to take when overseas and upon return from MERS-CoV affected countries, and for the people to refer to the website on MERS-CoV for the latest health advisory.

There is also a notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore on travelling at a time like this.

Look at how it's done in Singapore

Not only is the Singapore Health Ministry website up-to-date on the A-Z of this virus, but on June 11, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Tan Tock Seng Hospital and addressed the media on prepping the MERS team to be ready and to put a stop to the disease as quickly as possible.

Lee went on to give details, such as what should patients do, the robust preparations being carried out by the hospital and on the temperature screening that has started at airports from last Tuesday.

This to me, and to Malaysians alike, this is what it means to be prepared for an emergency that has the potential to trigger a wildfire situation. Not total silence, again, from our prime minister and the health minister as well.

The rakyat deserve to know what is happening with regard to the spread of the MERS virus that has claimed 15 lives in South Korea and the Malaysian government has a moral obligation to do its best to keep the public informed with up to date information and the precautionary measures it is taking to curtail the spread of this deadly disease.

I call upon the Health Ministry to set up an ad hoc Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to immediately work on educating the people, through television, radio and the online media, as well as blasting through the telecommunications media on what MERS-CoV is.

The people should be clearly informed on the symptoms of MERS-COV, where to seek treatment and provided with a hotline number as well for questions on this life-threatening virus, and to update the Health Ministry website immediately on information on the disease and hospitals that have the quarantine facilities.

KASTHURI PATTO is the MP for Batu Kawan and vice-chairperson of Wanita DAP, Penang.