Tenth Orang Asli villager warded at Hulu T'ganu Hospital

Another Orang Asli villager from Kampung Sungai Berua has been admitted to the Hulu Terengganu Hospital after showing symptoms of respiratory tract infection. 

This brings the total of Orang Asli villagers currently warded there to 10.

State health director Dr Mohd Jusoh said the 29-year-old man was admitted after he came to the hospital at 2.57am complaining of fever and cough for the past three days.

"Initial investigation found that he had visited Kuala Koh in Kelantan recently because he has a family there," he told reporters here today.

On Wednesday, eight Orang Asli villagers from Kuala Koh were admitted to the hospital in Hulu Terengganu.

Seven of them had symptoms of respiratory tract infection, while another experiencing diarrhoea, stomach pains and vomiting was being treated for acute gastroenteritis.

On Friday, another patient from the same village was admitted to the same hospital.

Mohd said the ten Orang Asli patients aged between four and 29 comprised seven men and three women.

"All of them are reportedly stable, administered with antibiotics, given appropriate treatment and observed by the hospital staff," he said.

A total of 14 Orang Asli deaths have reportedly taken place over the past month in Gua Musang.

Two of the bodies were examined by the authorities, with the cause of death found to be pneumonia.

There are four Orang Asli settlements in Terengganu, two of which in Hulu Terengganu and one each in Besut and Kemaman.

- Bernama