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PUTRAJAYA: Chief Health Officer Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah has admitted that there is a delay in transporting Covid-19 patients from their homes to treatment centers in Sabah.
This follows claims on social media that Covid-19 patients are being forced to stay home while they wait to be transferred for treatment despite testing positive.
However, Noor Hisham maintained that there was sufficient bed capacity in the 26 low-risk centers for more patients, adding that the ministry’s policy remained to transfer Covid-19 positive patients to centers or hospitals for treatment.
“Some people arrived at seven, eight, even ten days (waiting at home). If it’s 10 days, they don’t need to be transferred (if they don’t show symptoms) because the (recovery) period is basically 10 days.
“In Canada, the period of isolation and treatment is seven days, while the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) is 10 days.
“There are some people who, initially due to logistical problems and delay in obtaining results, have stayed at home. More importantly, even if they are at home, they must self-quarantine, ”he told a news conference today.
He said the ministry will continue to do everything possible for the people of Sabah, adding that extraordinary times require “extraordinary measures.”
Noor Hisham also said leaders and even Health Ministry officials were going through a physical and mental lethargy after battling Covid-19 without end for the past 10 months.
“This is because we have been fighting nonstop for ten months without a vacation. Every day we have meetings, information sessions.
“Front-line people can be affected because they face great pressure and, as CEO of Health, I also face a lot of stress. Some nights I cannot sleep because I am thinking about what can be done to solve the problems we face.
“For now, we can still hold on. I had a video conference with experts in Sabah this morning and they are generally very excited. “
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