by Nem Davies
Thursday, 30 July 2009 22:00
New Delhi (Mizzima) – Even as Burma’s Ministry of Health on Thursday announced that the number of human infection of type A (H1N1) virus in the country has increased to 10, health experts sounded the alarm bell saying given the poor public health system, there is a likelihood of more people being infected with the virus in rural areas.
“With an inadequate public health care system the situation could be alarming and difficult to control. What is more alarming is that it could go undiagnosed,” Dr. Voravit Suwanvanichkij, Associate Researcher at Center for Public Health in John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said.
The government’s announcement, carried by its mouthpiece newspaper, said surveillance of the flu is being conducted at the Rangoon international airport as well as in the border gates. From April 28 to July 13, the government claims that it has tested 1.9 million people.
The New Light of Myanmar on Thursday reported detection of the tenth person infected with the virus stating that all the detected people have come from a visit abroad including Thailand and Singapore.
A veteran doctor at a private clinic in Rangoon said the possibility of the virus going unnoticed in rural areas is high as Burma lacks an adequate public health care system.
“It is very likely that the disease could spread in the rural areas, because these areas do not have proper health care and because the virus is easily transmittable,” the doctor said.
“I do not fear detecting the virus, but my worry is that it could spread to a large number of people because in neighbouring countries we have heard of such an outbreak,” he added.
Dr. Vit, however, praised the Burmese military junta, which often blacks out news and information regarding outbreak of diseases or even natural disasters, for announcing the detection of the virus.
“It is a delight to know that the government is forthcoming in announcing the situation on the ground,” he said.
But he fears that with the lack of a public health care system, the number of cases of infection might have risen alarmingly while remaining undetected.
Currently, authorities are referring patients infected with A(H1N1) virus to the Wai Bagi hospital in Rangoon’s North Okklapa Township for treatment. But critics fear that if the number of cases of infection increases, the 100 bed Wai Bagi hospital may not be able to accommodate patients.
But an assistant medical officer at the Wai Bagi Hospital assured that they could switch strategies in case the number of cases of infection goes up and would be able to cope with an outbreak.
“We can always switch strategies. It’s not that we prefer changing it but we need to utilise our resources to the maximum. So there is no need to worry,” the doctor said.
Meanwhile in neighbouring Thailand, the type A(H1N1) has claimed the lives of 65 people. In India the number of infected till Tuesday was 475 while in China till July 27, 1930 people had been infected.
The A(H1N1) virus has killed over 800 people. According to a recent United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate, the A(H1N1) virus could infect a total of 2 billion people across the world.
Friday, July 31, 2009
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