Ministry Looks To Establish Health Emergency Response Unit
By Za'im Zaini

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Ministry of Health hopes to establish a Health Emergency Response Unit with the objective of strengthening its response capability and improving response time.

This would enable the Ministry of Health through its hospitals, health centres and personnel to lessen the impact on health in times of national disasters.

This was stated by Minister of Health Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi bin Hj Osman during the opening of the "1 S1 National Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Provider and Instructors Course for Doctors and Nurses" yesterday at the Penghayatan Hall of the Civil Service Institute in Rimba, Gadong.

The ACLS course is being organised by the Medical Services Department through its Critical Care and Accident and Emergency sections. Pehin Hj Suyoi, who was the guest of honour at yesterday's opening ceremony, said that Brunei Darussalam has established the National Disaster Council.

Among the functions of the council are to develop a strategic policy framework for the effective management of disasters in Brunei, and to ensure that the Sultanate's emergency preparedness is inline with those of regional and international agencies, the Minister of Health said.

"The challenge that all of us in the field of emergency cardiac care face is to decrease morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases," Pehin Hj Suyoi said.

Prevention is the first step in any effort to controlling the morbidity and mortality for cardiovascular disease. Practising a prudent lifestyle that encourages a balanced approach to nutrition and exercise are events that must start in childhood, he added.

He went on to say that the Ministry of Health has adopted a multi-pronged approach to address this issue by implementing various programmes to encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Among them are the `Healthy Heart' and `Healthy Mukim' programmes.

Meanwhile, the minister highlighted that coronary heart disease was the second most common cause of death in Brunei after cancer.

Coronary heart disease accounted for about 21 per cent of all deaths in 2005. For the last five years (2001-2005), there has been about 700 hospital admissions per year for heart attacks and other ischemic heart diseases, he said.

Earlier, DrAng Swee Hui, the co- chairman of the course, said that a team of eight instructors from Tan Tock Seng Hospital was invited to conduct the ACLS course in Brunei.

The team is being led by Associate Professor Eillyne Seow, senior consultant and head of Emergency Department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Also in the team is Dr Tham Kum Ying, chairperson of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital Life Support Committee, which oversees the basic and advanced cardiac life support training for doctors and nurses at the hospital.

Over the next two to three days, participants will put their skills to the test in a series of simulated clinical scenarios, where they will be able to practise essential skills individually, as part of a team and as a team leader.

Upon successful completion of the course, selected candidates A undergo the instructor course so that they can facilitate future ACLS courses.

Among those who attended the opening ceremony yesterday were Deputy Minister of Health Pehin Dato Hj Awang Hazair bin Hj Abdullah and Mr Joseph Koh, the Singaporean High Commissioner. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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