Thursday, January 8, 2009

An exiting day at Kota Star

Date: 07 Jan 2009
DHO Kota Star
Group A

The day started with Group A assembling in the food quality control unit. In DHO Kota Star Thursdays are allocated for vaccination of typhoid. This vaccine is given to food handlers. The counter opens at 8.00 a.m. Food handlers had to pay RM20 for this vaccine. On a normal day about 100 to 200 people will receive the vaccination. The vaccines brand name is Typhirex. It contains 0.5mL of Salmonella Vi antigen. It is given via intramuscular route. We aided SN Rosida in administering the vaccine. Our job was mainly to prepare the injection. SN Rosida also taught us the right method performing an intramuscular injection.

At 11.30 we attended a CME organized by the Kesihatan Pekerja dan Alam Sekitar (KePAS) unit. The topic was occupational hazards. The speaker was Dr.Chelladurai. He is very experienced in the field of occupational therapy. Various groups of people attended the lectures. They include medical officers, staff nurses, community nurses, medical assistants and AIMST medical students. The lecture covered topics like Occupational Safety Health Act (OSHA) 1994, occupational hazard with focus on the hospital setting. Following was the outline of the lecture.

OSHA applies to all occupation except the army and police.
MOH is actively monitoring needle stick injury. It is a current priority.
Classification of hazards
•Physical – temp, vibration, noise, electric, radiation
•Chemical – acids, vapors, gases and liquids
•Biological – various organisms
•Mechanical/Ergonomic – way of lifting objects, lighting
•Psychosocial – stress, relationship with boss
Method of assessing occupational hazard
•Walk through survey – premises or residential
•Audit form
Any occupational hazard must be informed to Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) within 7days by the treating physician. Failure to do so may lead to the treating physician either being compounded RM10, 000.00 or imprisonment for 1 year or both. For the employer whom fails to notify DOSH the penalty is RM50, 000.00. For medical personal various forms are used for reporting –
•JKKP 6 – for occupational accidents
•JKKP 7 – for occupational poisoning
•JKKP 8 – for annual reporting of occupational health disease
The following a re common occupational health diseases which occur in a hospital setting

Occupational lung disease
•Occupational asthma
•Pneumoconiosis
•Bysinosis
•Chronic bronchitis
•Pleural disorder
•Lung cancer

Skin disease
•Contact dermatitis
•Acne
•Skin ulcer
•Photodermatitis

Biological agent
•Anthrax
•Leptospirosis
•TB
•Leprosy
•Viral hepatitis
•HIV
•Nipah virus
•Avian flu
•Rabies

Chemical agents
•Cadmium poisoning
•Mercury poisoning
•Lead poisoning
•Magnesium poisoning

Musculoskeletal problems
•Paralysis
•Paraplegia

Cancers
•Exposure to arsenic, formaldehyde

People most prone for needle stick injury in order
1. Doctors
2. Nurses
3. Medical assistant

Dr.Chelladurai also had a quiz session where he gave prizes to those whom answered his questions. AIMST students won some of the prizes.

After lunch we continued with food handler vaccination to help reduce the crowd which had build up over the lunch break.

Subsequently we followed SN Shima to the state vector unit for another immunization programme. This time it was influenza vaccine. It is the same vaccine that was given on 4th to the JKN staff. Again we assisted SN Shima to prepare the injections to smoothen the procedure. We finished around 4.30.

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