By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 10: The Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development will first seek verification from the Health Department regarding reports of an Influenza A outbreak at a preschool in Sadong Jaya before issuing any further directives.
Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said no official report has been received so far, and any action will follow a thorough investigation by health authorities.
“I need confirmation from the Health Department first. If cases are confirmed, they will notify us, and we will act based on the official report.
“All decisions must rely on verified information from the Health Department,” she said in a pre-recorded interview after officiating the ‘Senior Citizen Health Benefit’ programme organised by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) on Thursday (Oct 9).
As the ministry responsible for preschools, Fatimah assured that it has a dedicated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling such situations, including school closures, similar to measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic and Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs, Information, and UKAS) Datuk Abdullah Saidol confirmed that the State Security Council and State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) have been informed of the situation.
“I understand that several agencies, including the Health Department, are conducting investigations. At this stage, we cannot confirm whether the outbreak originated from the preschool in Sadong Jaya or elsewhere, as the matter is still under investigation.
“However, I am certain that the matter is being taken seriously,” he said. — DayakDaily
