FLU EPIDEMIC - Too many details causing panic: Ammar

Govt just telling the truth, minister says

Prominent economist and social critic Ammar Siamwalla urged the government yesterday to stop creating panic over the new flu pandemic, and said its efforts to curb with the outbreak were unclear.
"Personally, I think Thailand has disseminated too much information about the new flu virus and caused panic among people, which is unbalanced," he said.
Ammar gave a speech entitled "Economic development on a biological base" at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office.
The move comes after a jump in the number of infections and deaths, which the Health Ministry announced on Wednesday. Thailand has had 6,776 confirmed cases of the new flu, with 44 fatalities.
But Ammar thought the Health Ministry's latest report scared people.
While reports on about the spread of the virus did not affect the economy and only slightly reduced the number of tourists, he feared serious outcomes in the future if people panicked too much.
Instead of reporting the number of people who caught the bug and increasing number of deaths, the government should focus on what people knew and understood about the disease.
"The government should inform the public that this new flu virus is easy to spread but it is not dangerous if people receive the appropriate medication immediately," he said.
He advised the government to focus on prevention and provide information to people, especially those in crowded places such as schools, or public space with airconditioners.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said he conceded some failings in moves to tackle with the pandemic, including the provision of medication to patients with severe flulike symptoms.
Witthaya, who was stuck in a blockade of people during a visit to Angthong, Ayutthaya and Chai Nat, he said the ministry had not concealed any information over the influenza pandemic and condemned people for trying to distort information and politicise the issue.
"These were real figures that we reported to the public. There was no reason for us to lie to people because if we do not tell the truth to people hospitals would be pushed to breaking point," he said.
Asked if the ministry had pondered panic concern caused by the surge in infections and deaths, he said Thais knew more about the virus now, and that people all over the world did not have immunity against it, so they were equally at risk and needed to avoided getting the flu.
He urged medical workers to provide drugs faster to patients with severe flulike symptom to reduce the number of deaths.
"Most patients die because of delayed treatment," he said. "They go to hospital too late after developing a severe flulike illness."
All provinces must reserve a sufficient stockpile of the antiviral drug oseltamivir and provide it immediately to patients with severe flulike symptoms.
"Patients who have flulike symptom for two days must be given oseltamivir immediately when admitted hospital," he stressed.
Pregnant women with flulike symptoms also must be given special care.
Clinics and drug stores should not let patients who have high fever and develop severe flulike symptoms to take a fever reducer by themselves for week. They should be advised to go to hospital instead.
The Health Ministry was trying to control the spread of disease in areas where there have been a high number of infections or deaths, he said.

The Nation