The UB Post-Leading English News

By Monday, the death toll of the virus had risen to nine, and 24 people were waiting for lab test results, Deputy Premier M.Enkhbold said at a press conference.

According to Enkhbold, the special working group headed by him, ordered all public and business organizations to grant a month-paid holiday for their pregnant employees as H1N1 flu causes more threat to pregnant women. At the present, there are 36,000 pregnant women in Mongolia. 185 of them are being treated in hospitals, 14 of whom are in worse condition.

Last week, the World Health Organization sent over 45,000 doses of Tamiflu to Mongolia, which has had a rapid rise in reported cases of H1N1 since the first were detected in mid-October. It is allocating Tamiflu to high-risk patients, to alleviate symptoms and reduce their likelihood of transmitting the disease. Mongolia previously had stockpiles of about 11,000 doses, half provided by the WHO in May. The Mongolian government is now trying to buy additional vaccine doses, to supplement the 100,000 doses the WHO hopes to provide by the end of the year, a WHO Mongolia officer stated.

The Health Ministry has purchased from China and Germany 40 respiratory apparatus, one of vital equipments to heal H1N1 virus. First twenty apparatus have been distributed to the National Center for Communicable Diseases, Clinical Hospital #1, the Shasting Hospital #3 and the National Research Center for Maternity and Infants. Second part of respiratory apparatus will arrive next week from Germany and be distributed to regional diagnosis centers and districts’ hospitals.

Schools and cinemas in Mongolia have been closed and public events cancelled, as the government tries to contain the H1N1 virus, which has been spreading rapidly. For this period, all lessons of formal secondary education will be conducted on television, the Education Ministry’s resolution says. Mongolian National Education Channel television is chosen to broadcast all lessons for fourteen days.

The Government has also set a 9 p.m. curfew on shops, restaurants and bars, while long-distance transport to the provinces is halted from November 7.

XacBank has opened an account to help the nation fight with the virus. To date, donations came from many international and local organizations including the WHO, the World Vision, the Red Cross Society, the Health Support Fund, Petroleum Company MT LLC, National Mobile Communication Service Provider ‘G-Mobile’, National Drug Manufacturer and Importers Em Impex, Monos and Nakhia and many others.
Doctors recommend general public to eat more vitamin-rich foods, drink seabuckthorn juices and to consume more horsemeat, garlic, and cruds to keep the winter flu at bay.

Vulnerable group with incomes lower than the guaranteed livelihood standard is to receive free seabuckthorns and cruds to improve their immunity against H1N1 virus beginning from this week. The Government decided to spend some Tg1.3 billion for this campaign.     
The World Health Organization says the number of pandemic cases is forecast to rise with the beginning of the winter.