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PETALING JAYA: More health experts have come forward to warn patients seeking treatment at healthcare facilities not to lie to front-line people about the status of their exposure to Covid-19, calling it an act of treason.
This came after a warning from Health Director General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah after a doctor shared on Facebook that she had tested positive after being exposed to an infected patient.
“Don’t lie to the front line. We must also be protected, we have family and friends. Don’t betray the front line, ”Dr. Noor Hisham said yesterday on Facebook.
The president of the Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association, Datuk Dr. Zainal Ariffin Omar, said that patients who did not tell the truth about their exposure and contact history would hinder healthcare workers in making proper assessments and diagnoses.
“They can also put staff at risk, especially if staff did not practice universal precaution or were not very careful,” he said, urging all patients to always disclose their medical history and exposure.
“Healthcare personnel should always practice universal precaution when caring for any patient.
“It is safe to assume that the patient is positive for Covid-19 until proven otherwise,” he said.
In his warning, Dr. Noor Hisham shared a Facebook post from Dr. Nur Marini Zainal, who detailed her experience testing positive after dealing with a patient who had concealed her disease history during screening before an appointment for a CT scan.
“A patient arrived at the hospital and was examined at the entrance of the department before undergoing a CT scan. The temperature was normal. The patient claimed to be healthy and was allowed to enter.
“I was the doctor who prepared the patient for the examination. I was surprised to see that the patient’s lungs shown on the CT scan resemble (those of) a Covid-19 patient, ”he said.
Dr. Nur Marini said the patient later admitted to having a cough and fever for a week, but felt well enough to make the appointment for the CT scan.
“The patient’s action has caused problems for others. The patient was confirmed positive for Covid-19 two days later, ”she wrote, adding that she was later quarantined and then tested positive herself.
Pleading with patients not to lie to healthcare workers if they had experienced any symptoms, Dr. Nur Marini said their actions would affect other patients, healthcare workers and their families.
“We are also human,” he said.
The president of the Malaysian Medical Association, Professor Datuk Dr. Subramaniam Muniandy, warned that under Section 12 of the Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Act 1988, lying to a government official, which could lead to the The potential spread of disease was considered a felony, as it could lead to a two-year jail sentence.
“Withholding vital information can result in delays in detecting Covid-19 cases,” he said, noting that this could lead to complications and even death.
“We want to remind all healthcare workers to never let their guard down, on and off duty.”
Dr. Malina Osman, a medical epidemiologist at Putra University Malaysia, said that with current active cases at more than 20,000, healthcare personnel and leaders were already burdened with a heavy workload.
“We must understand this situation as they also have to provide health care services to other non-Covid-19 patients,” he said.
Healthcare workers, Dr. Malina said, must protect themselves from infection to avoid staff shortages.
“In health facilities, the personal protective suit is established based on risk assessment,” he said.
If patients did not state the truth, healthcare workers would only wear minimal protective garb and thus expose other staff members and vulnerable groups in the hospital to infection, he said.
Not declaring one’s health status, he added, was a betrayal of healthcare personnel and other patients.
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