Perak introduces health screening to contain HFMD

TAIPING,  July 12 (Bernama) -- It is now compulsory for nursery and kindergarten operators in Perak to conduct daily health screening on children under their care before allowing them into their premises.

The move by the Perak Health Department is to ensure measures taken to curb the spread of the hand, foot and mouth (HFMD) disease are effective, said state health deputy director (public health) Dr K.B. Venugopalan.

He also said that the state Health Department also confirmed that the serious situation of HFMD in Penang had spread to Perak, with the number of cases showing an increasing trend over the last few months.

"We have held ongoing briefing sessions with kindergarten and nursery operators as well as the Welfare Services Department. We taught them the ways of screening the health of children at their centres each day.

"If they see a child having fever, rashes and other symptoms, they should not allow it to enter their centre, even if it does not have HFMD," he said.

Dr Venugopalan was speaking at a press conference after officiating a seminar on the prevention of child abuse and domestic violence organised by the Perak Health Department here today.

He said parents must realise that kindergartens and nurseries were not 'mini hospitals' where they could send their sick children.

He added that they should not just think of their children's health but also the health of other children.

"Children who have been infected must be quarantined at home and closely monitored, not taken out to shopping malls or other public places so as to prevent the spread of the disease," he said.

Venugopalan said HFMD was a serious disease for children up to the age of six and could spread quickly between humans through touch and saliva.

He said the most important method of preventing its transmission was to ensure that children with the symptoms do not infect others.

-- BERNAMA