MOH to mobilise 140 medical, health personnel for Chini by-election

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is mobilising about 140 medical and health personnel on polling day for the Chini state by-election this Saturday.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said six personnel, comprising four doctors and two public health assistants, will be stationed at each of the 13 polling centres in the constituency.

"The health personnel will monitor implementation of the standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"The ministry is ready, everyone has been briefed and we are all ready. We will place our exprienced and well trained staff (for the polling day)," he told reporters after a " Ziarah Prihatin Bersama Rakyat Chini" programme near here, today.

Dr Noor Azmi said three ambulances would also be placed on stand-by for emeregncies on that day.

He said voters with symptoms would be allowed to vote but would be strictly monitored by MOH personnel.

"All voters would be required to have their temperature checked, use hand sanitiser and will be given glove before casting their vote.

"Those with symptoms will be placed at a special tent. The medical team will conduct a thorough checkup and will refer them to the hospital immediately," he said.

A total of 20,816 people out of 20,972 ordinary voters are eligible to vote this Saturday. 156 of them are postal voters.

The by-election will see a three-cornered contest between Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Mohd Sharim Md Zain, 41, and two independent candidates, Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin, 64, and Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli, 49.

-- BERNAMA