‘Students must be educated on HFMD’
BETONG: Students need to be educated on personal hygiene to prevent the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease ( HFMD).
When highlighting this, Betong Health Officer Dr Johnny Pangkas said personal hygiene and clean surroundings are vital to ensure there are no HFMD outbreaks. At the same time, parents need to be educated on their children’s cleanliness.
“For example, schools are a focus point as it is the place where the majority of children meet and mingle around. It is also one of the places where one can contract the disease through contact with an infected person,” he said.
This is why schools must be at their best and have the highest standards of cleanliness, he added.
“There were HFMD cases reported in this district over a month ago, showing an increase over the same period last year,” he said during a meeting to discuss the issue with several ParentTeacher Associations ( PTAs) at Betong Health Department Office yesterday.
“With students from primary three and below at greater risk of contracting the disease, we will issue a directive via letters to parents and teachers on how to contain the disease with instructions and directions to follow,” he said.
For now, Johnny said parents should not be worried about sending their children to school as the matter is still under control. However, he also reminded them not to bring their children to crowded places for the time being.