COVID-19: MoH allocated RM600m to purchase medical equipment, appoint new staff

The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MoH) will be allocated an additional RM500 million to purchase medical equipment in its effort to address the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

According to the Prime Minister, the government is also allocating RM100 million specifically for the appointment of 2,000 new MoH employees on contract basis.

“The allocation (RM500 million) among others will be used to finance the purchase of medical equipment such as ventilators and ICU apparatus, additional personal protective equipment (PPE) for public healthcare personnel as well as laboratory requirements for COVID-19 screening.

"To expedite the purchase of these critical items, the government has approved emergency procurement procedures," he said at a special press conference at the Perdana Putra Building here today.

The decision on this was reached after he chaired the Economic Action Council (EAC) meeting today, specifically to discuss the urgent need to help the people address the impact of COVID-19.