Zika: Health Ministry to meet National Fatwa Council over medical advice for pregnant victims
NST
FAZLEENA AZIZ
September 14, 2016
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will be meeting with the National Fatwa Council next week to discuss on medical advice for pregnant women infected with the Zika virus, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam.
Dr Subrmaniam was responding to a question on whether pregnant women infected with Zika would be allowed to undergo an abortion.
“The Cabinet has instructed the ministry to discuss the matter after taking scientific and Islamic perspectives into consideration.
“Our stand on abortion is that it is only allowed if there is a risk to the pregnant mothers,” he told a press conference, here today.
Federal Territory Mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri was previously reported as saying that foetus abortion of a woman infected with Zika can be done if it could bring difficulty, sadness and suffering to the family.
Meanwhile, Dr Subramaniam said the authorities have also identified two types of Zika virus strains. One is similar to the one in Brazil and Singapore (French Polynesia) while the other is a local strain (Micronesia) from an earlier case recorded in the country.
He said the results were obtained after tests were carried out on the first two infected patients in Taman Botani, Klang and Likas, Sabah.
On Sept 3, the Sabah patient who tested positive for Zika died from heart-related complications.
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will be meeting with the National Fatwa Council next week to discuss on medical advice for pregnant women infected with the Zika virus, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam.
Dr Subrmaniam was responding to a question on whether pregnant women infected with Zika would be allowed to undergo an abortion.
“The Cabinet has instructed the ministry to discuss the matter after taking scientific and Islamic perspectives into consideration.
“Our stand on abortion is that it is only allowed if there is a risk to the pregnant mothers,” he told a press conference, here today.
Federal Territory Mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri was previously reported as saying that foetus abortion of a woman infected with Zika can be done if it could bring difficulty, sadness and suffering to the family.
Meanwhile, Dr Subramaniam said the authorities have also identified two types of Zika virus strains. One is similar to the one in Brazil and Singapore (French Polynesia) while the other is a local strain (Micronesia) from an earlier case recorded in the country.
He said the results were obtained after tests were carried out on the first two infected patients in Taman Botani, Klang and Likas, Sabah.
On Sept 3, the Sabah patient who tested positive for Zika died from heart-related complications.
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