The Malaysian Government should help the media also to focus on national problems such as dengue epidemic

We call on the Malaysian Government also to help the national media to focus on the current problems such as the dengue epidemic

Statement
by Dr Tan Seng Giaw

(Kuala Lumpur, Sunday): The Malayisan Government is showing off to the 116 non-aligned nations whose leaders are attending the Summit. The media are full of NAM. The Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his Deputy Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar are having a field day.

We should be confident that Malaysia can hold world events effectively. We hope that NAM can agree on resolutions that tell the United States to refrain from bullying other nations to agree to its unilateral war on Iraq. The 116 nations should do better than their contributions to the 14% of the total world import.

We also see the media covering the Kuala Lumpur World Film Festival with participants from 38 countries. This has been overwhelmed by the NAM Summit. We don't know if the organizers were aware of the Summit.

Then, after 37 years, a Malaysian regained the All-England Badminton tournament single crown. We congatulate Hafiz. As Dr Mahathir has said we should not pamper sportspersons as was done when Malaysia won the Thomas Cup not so long ago. The pampering was followed by abysmal performances. There were four Malaysians in the All-England quarter-finals, namely Hafiz, Tsuen Seng, Roslin, and Hock Kin. They tired their opponents. By the time Hafiz met Chen Hong from China in the final the latter was less fit. We should not forget these players.

The Government must also assist our media to report news other than NAM, Film Festival and Hafiz. Treating foreign leaders well including the sumptuous national banquet is one thing. Tackling our national problems is another. Now, dengue epidemic rages.

Thousands of Malaysians continue to catch dengue. It was over 32,000 cases in 2002 compared to 27,000 cases in the epidemic year of 1998. If we visit hospitals particularly those in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, we find that wards are full of dengue cases. Some die of dengue haemorrhagic fever as shown by 57 deaths in 2002.

Hospitals such as Selayang Paperless Hospital are said to turn away patients with confirmed dengue if their platelet count is not below 60,000 per micromililitre (uL). Any patient with a count of below 150,000/uL has a low count. Selayang is a hotspot for dengue. Patients are assessed clinically and on blood tests. If wards are full, what can the doctors do? The Government must find out the trut

The Governmenrt should immediately look into the lack of hospital beds, the shortage of personnel and the lack of an overt campaign to overcome the dengue epidemic. Do we have to wait until NAM delegates return home?

(21/2/2003)

* Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, DAP Education Bureau Chairman and National Publicity Secretary