[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry should consider using public vehicles such as government vans and buses to transport Covid-19 patients to hospital, proposed an assemblyman.
Commenting on the direction of Chief Health Officer Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah to those who tested positive for Covid-19 but are asymptomatic from self-isolation first, Bukit Gasing Assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran said it was an impractical suggestion.
Instead, he said, public vehicles should be used to overcome delays in transporting patients to the hospital by ambulances.
Rajiv, who called self-isolation impractical for many Malaysians, said in a statement that the ministry should not rely solely on ambulances, but should deploy government vans and buses and “even involve the army, if necessary.”
“It is imperative that the ministry involve all transportation resources in government, many of which are underutilized due to restricted movement.”
He noted that there are solutions to learn from abroad. Singapore is using public buses to transport Covid-19 positive patients, while France has been using a special train service for these patients.
He added that even asymptomatic cases must be treated urgently since “patients are at the highest risk of infecting others between three days before developing symptoms and seven days after developing them.”
He called the delay in finding a solution “unacceptable” and said that given the amount of time the country has spent dealing with the pandemic, there should have been enough time to develop an efficient response plan.
“Our battle against this pandemic is far from over and the weak strategies show that the Ministry of Health is beginning to give up. I firmly believe that it is crucial that the ministry reassess its strategies taking into account the intensity of this pandemic. “
Rajiv also pointed out that, although many Malaysians are capable of acting responsibly, “we cannot trust everyone to follow the instructions to stay at home. Many are still able to go out and interact with others for a variety of reasons, especially if they are asymptomatic. “
CLICK HERE TO OBTAIN THE LATEST DATA ON THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA
