COVID -19: 186 private medical practitioners allowed to issue HSO starting tomorrow - Dr Adham Baba

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 186 private sector medical practitioners nationwide were given permission to issue home surveillance and observation (HSO) orders and wear bracelets to COVID-19 patients starting Thursday.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said the order was through Section 10 (2) of Act 342, Emergency (Disease Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which empowers private medical practitioners to handle COVID-19 positive cases in place.

Dr Adham said permission was given to expedite the process to detect, test, isolate and treat individuals infected with COVID-19.

“186 private medical practitioners have been given the power to issue HSO orders and wear bracelets starting March 11.

“ They can detect, isolate, wear bracelets and provide treatment as well as issue quarantine orders at home or the COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Center (PKRC).

"Therefore, we can more quickly detect, test and isolate and treat the COVID-19 patients involved," he said at a press conference following the book launch of the Book Launch Ceremony 'The Covid-19 Chronicles Of Malaysia | Navigating The Storm ’at the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.

He said the 186 private medical practitioners selected involved Perlis (four), Kedah (one), Penang (16), Perak (three), Selangor (66), Kuala Lumpur (43), Putrajaya (one), Negeri Sembilan (13), Melaka (four), Johor (26), Pahang (two), Terengganu (three), Kelantan (two) and Sabah (two).

In the meantime, he also called on private medical practitioners interested in helping the government deal with the COVID-19 outbreak to register with the Ministry of Health.

"When they are ready to be of assistance, we will provide guidelines to them and they can get it from their respective District Health Offices," he said.

In a similar development, he is confident that as many as 60 per cent of the 500,000 front -line workers will be successfully vaccinated this weekend.

"As of 12 noon on Wednesday, a total of 195,923 front line workers have been vaccinated.

"Besides that, until 8 am on Wednesday, a total of 4,680,531 people have registered to be listed as vaccine recipients through the MySejahtera application," he said.