PUTRAJAYA – The Ministry of Health (MOH) is continuously looking for strategies to manage the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, says its minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
He said among the steps taken were increasing the bed capacity including converting MOH hospitals into full COVID-19 or hybrid COVID-19 hospitals and the number of Low Risk COVID-19 Treatment and Quarantine Centres (PKRC), introducing home isolation and monitoring for category one (asymptomatic) and category two (mildly symptomatic) patients, and engaging private hospitals to manage COVID-19 patients.
“In addition, our primary care services have set up COVID-19 Assessment Centres (CACs) in every district to assess COVID-19 patients on suitability for home isolation and monitoring.
“We have also engaged with general practitioners in assisting the MOH with the assessment of patients and giving health education on home isolation and monitoring,” he said in a statement today.
This is in response to an article titled, “You don’t see what we see: A doctor tells his story of being ‘scared as hell’ of COVID-19” published by a online news portal on Tuesday.
Increased laboratory capacities
Dr Adham said the MOH was also constantly increasing laboratory capacities to detect COVID-19 patients early by engaging other agencies, the universities and private laboratories to perform reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and antigen rapid test kit (RTK Ag) testing.
Despite the public healthcare providers being understaffed and their staff being overworked, especially in Klang Valley, he said the MOH strived to overcome this situation in managing the pandemic.
A total of 3,617 health personnel have been mobilised from the MOH, as well as individual volunteers and others from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the armed forces and other agencies since 2020.
“The MOH has also requested for additional staff and training of existing staff to handle more responsibilities.
“In handling emotionally-affected healthcare workers and those with burnout symptoms, the ministry has set up the Psychosocial Support Helpline at the national and state levels and also collaborates with other relevant government agencies and NGOs in these activities.
”In addition, the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support teams are also mobilised to hospitals and health facilities to provide psychological first aid to the healthcare workers and frontliners in need,” he said.
Dr Adham said the MOH implored the public, employers and individuals to assist in identifying close contacts in their localities for early action by the nearest District Health Office.
“MOH will continue to work with all government and non-governmental agencies to manage this pandemic.
“We would like to urge all Malaysians to comply with all the health advice given and adhere to all the SOPs outlined by the government, such as practising the 3Ws (wash, wear and warn) and avoid the 3Cs (crowded places, confined spaces and close conversations),” he added.
Shut down factories, business premises
The government in a related development, will temporarily shut down factories and business premises that fail to comply with the standard operation procedure (SOP) on COVID-19 prevention and cause infections to occur.
Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said stern action would also be taken against factory operators who fail to ensure that their foreign workers undergo mandatory COVID-19 screening tests.
He said nine factories and 16 business premises, which are not allowed to operate during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period as they are not on the list of essential services, have been ordered to shut down by the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI).
“We are serious about ensuring there are not COVID-19 infections in factories, including closing them down temporarily until all COVID-19 cases have recovered. We will also ensure that their workers are free from COVID-19,” he said at the media conference on MCO development here today.
There has been a rise in COVID-19 positive cases and clusters involving workplaces, which have contributed to a spike in daily cases.
Couples advised to undergo Covid-19 test
In addition, Ismail Sabri said that although interstate travelling was allowed for long-distance couples, they are still required to obtain approval from the police and also advised to undergo COVID-19 screening tests.
When asked about the actions of the management of some condominiums instructing tenants to undergo COVID-19 swab tests before being allowed to enter their units, he said that this was allowed.
He said although the National Security Council (MKN) did not issue such a policy, the council would not stop the management of any condominium or residential area from doing so in order to protect the safety of residents there.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said police could use their discretion to allow residents living at state borders to cross over to another state to get to the nearest town for daily necessities.
“It is reasonable to allow interstate travel for the purpose of purchasing necessities in the town nearest to them.
“… the radius allowed for travel is a maximum of 10 kilometres (km), but if a town in the same state is 15-km away compared to a town in another state (neighbouring) that is three km away, I hope the police will allow (interstate travel),” he said.
He said this in reply to questions as to whether the government would consider allowing residents in a border area like Hulu Bernam, Selangor to cross the border to Pekan Tanjung Malim, Perak if the nearest town is in the other state.
