Govt does not neglect non-COVID-19 patients - Dr Noor Azmi

BAGAN SERAI: The government does not neglect treatment for other patients despite the focus on COVID-19 patients who are increasing at the moment, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

He said this was proven when the government set aside 85 per cent of hospital beds in the country for the treatment of other patients and only 15 per cent were for COVID-19 patients.

He said this showed that the government was very concerned and it did not neglect other patients including those who had dengue, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus and others.

“The government provides good treatment to patients. If there are many cases, they will be sent for treatment at nearby hospitals, including private hospitals," he told a press conference after the 2020 Kerian District People’s Farm Profit Distribution Handing Over Ceremony, here, yesterday.

At the event, 178 participants received of RM300 each involving RM53,400.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Azmi, who is also Bagan Serai Member of Parliament, said, to date, the government did not intend to close all schools in the country despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

Instead, he said contact trackings would be carried out actively to detect close contacts as well as implementing sanitation operations in areas where new cases were detected.

"In some places, if there is a positive case of COVID-19, it will be closed for two to three days but schools have a very strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) such as physical distancing, body temperature checks and no outdoor activities.

"Indeed, students who are in dormitories cannot return home and must remain there because it is safer," he said.

On the swab tests in Sabah, Dr Noor Azmi said the ministry was capable of conducting 2,000 tests a day and samples were also sent to other states in the Peninsula to assist with the tests, thus reducing the waiting time for results.

-- BERNAMA