SARS screening stepped up
By M K Anwar

Dr Roslina shows how to handle a SARS suspect
Photo: Rudolf Portillo 

Brunei Darussalam is free of any Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases so far. But the Ministry of Health has left nothing to chance and has taken efforts to stop the killer virus from reaching the Sultanate.

In preparation for any probable SARS cases, the Ministry of Health has provided several screening centres at all Health Centres in Brunei Darussalam.

Health Centres all over the Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Kuala Belait districts have allocated rooms for nurses and doctors to conduct screening for SARS disease. They are located in front of the main entrances of these Health Centres before registration counters.

This was revealed during a press briefing yesterday by the ministry on the screening process for suspected SARS patients in the country.

Dr. Roslina bte Haji Metussin, a Medical Officer at the Bandar Seri Begawan Medical Centre, said doctors and nurses that are on duty and in contact with patients at all times must wear gloves, masks and aprons. Patients will also be required to wear masks before being brought into the Isolation Room for further screening by doctors.

Every time after conducting checks on patients, all the masks, gloves and aprons that have been used by patients, nurses and doctors must be disposed of inside a biohazard plastic bag that will be sent to the incinerator. The Isolation Room will be cleaned every time a screening takes place. This measure is to ensure that the disease doesn't spread.

Doctors have also been provided guidelines in the handling and screening of SARS suspects.

Those who have visited SARS-affected countries but suffer no cough or fever will be allowed to return home and will be provided with necessary information on SARS. They will be advised to see the doctor again if they feel unwell within two weeks after the screening.

For people who have visited SARS-affected countries and suffer from cough or fever (two of the three criteria), they must be reported to the Disease Control Unit and these suspect cases will, depending on the situation, be quarantined at home or will be referred to the Accident and Emergency Unit for further treatment. Those that are quarantined at home will be given ten days leave starting from the day they arrive in Brunei.

If anyone suffers all the three symptoms of SARS, that is high fever, cough and shortness of breath, they must be referred immediately to the Accident and Emergency Unit and will be reported to the Disease Control Unit.

All these steps and guidelines are currently being implemented at all SARS screening centres in Brunei.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin