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COMMENTARY | I have read Dr. Tachdjian’s open letter to Prime Minister “Covid-19: Wake Up, Stop Talking, Take Action” with great intention.
Although it is not directed at me, but as the Director General of Health, I have to understand what this “staff member of the Ministry of Health (MOH)” is trying to convey, regardless of the rank, grade or profession of the person.
It occurred to me that when the doctor was said to be a “specialist from the Ministry of Health” he would surely attract everyone’s attention when reading it.
A specialist doctor from the Ministry of Health will surely be ethical and credible. That is what I expect from a specialist from the Ministry of Health.
I must admit, doctor, that I am disappointed. In the open letter, you have clearly identified a patient to the public referring to a high profile individual in Sabah who is sheltered at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE).
For your information, doctor, this is against the ethics of a doctor. Patient confidentiality is a priority for the medical profession and MINSA always emphasizes this. I hope this is not something that I do on a regular basis, because the Ministry of Health relies on specialist doctors to educate doctors and interns.
You are also familiar with the inner workings of HQE, but you may need to double-check the protocol for the management of patients under investigation (PUI) that is positive for Covid-19 in Covid-19 hospitals. Cases that have been confirmed as positive for Covid-19 and that are stable will be admitted directly to the Covid-19 room.
The same protocol is used in all cases, regardless of the status of the case in society. There may be situations where cases need to wait for the beds in the Covid-19 room to be emptied. This can happen from time to time.
It is true that the number of Covid-19 cases is increasing, especially in Sabah. I myself present the daily date every day on various platforms, including daily meetings with the prime minister and Covid-19 press conferences around 6 p.m. Both are now conducted via video conferencing.
I have also explained the measures taken by the government to ensure that there is sufficient testing capacity in the laboratories, increase the number of beds for Covid-19 cases so that there are enough, the purchase of equipment and distribution of fans, etc. Just look at the infographic I uploaded. It is very easy to understand.
Initially, health workers from Kota Kinabalu were mobilized to assist eastern Sabah hospitals, as well as quarantine centers and low-risk Covid-19 treatment centers. After that, the Ministry of Health mobilized health workers from all states to Sabah. They were placed in Kota Kinabalu hospitals to fill the staff gaps in Kota Kinabalu.
There is no denying that it is more challenging when healthcare workers are also infected with Covid-19, whether from the community, the workplace, coworkers, or while handling Covid-19 cases. They must be hospitalized for treatment and close contacts must be quarantined.
However, the HQE leadership and also the Sabah Health Department are to be congratulated. The mobilization plan continues, the services are operational and the situation is expected to improve. Health workers continue to work with determination, as more medical support teams arrive.
You have had good opinions regarding your personal protective equipment (PPE) stocks. Early planning is necessary and stocks need to be closely monitored. The Ministry of Health continues to make sure it is sufficient for Malaysian hospitals, including at HQE. Attached is the status of PPE stocks in Sabah.
Central approval for the emergency purchase of PPE for Sabah was obtained on October 2. All have been adequately planned by federal agencies, the Ministry of Health and the Sabah Department of Health. The central database system developed during the first and second waves of Covid-19 has taught us to be more prepared.
I am grateful that the Ministry of Health is not alone in this effort. It is impossible for MOH to handle Covid-19 alone. Other federal agencies have moved in with the MOH, too many of them for me to name one by one. The same is true of state governments, down to the district level. The private sector, NGOs, organizations and all levels of society.
They all came together to flatten the curve during the second wave.
The approach taken is the “whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach”. Foreign countries always ask me about this. I am proud (to say) “we use the whole government approach, the whole society approach.”
But we can do better. I urge everyone, let’s not point fingers and blame. Let’s focus our energy and efforts to fight our common enemy, which is Covid-19, while praying and trusting the divine.
Dr. NOOR HISHAM ABDULLAH is the Director General of the Ministry of Health.
This comment was translated from Bahasa Malaysia. Read the original here.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author / contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
