A SELANGOR lawmaker urged the Government to empower all COVID-19 testing centres, clinics and hospitals to dish out the pink wristbands when patients are tested positive.
“We must strictly enforce rules that those wearing pink wristbands must not mingle in the public to stop COVID-19 spread.
“As a state assemblyman, I have received complaints from residents who claim to have seen individuals being tested positive still leaving their homes,” said Bukit Gasing state assemblyperson Rajiv Rishyakaran, in a statement.
Since last week, Malaysia has been reporting over 17,000 daily COVID-19 infections, with death toll now breaching the 9,000 mark.
Under the National Recovery Plan (NRP), the Government had projected daily infections may peak to 24,000 daily, risking the collapse of the public healthcare system despite the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (PICK) picking up speed in recent weeks.
Taking that into consideration, Rajiv urged the Government to outsource some of its resources and rope in all the healthcare facilities available, both Government and private.
He also said the measure would significantly reduce the burden endured by public healthcare workers, who are now fatigued and under immense pressure.
“While I agree with the Government’s decision to issue pink wristbands to all positive patients, it is not advisable for them to travel to COVID-19 Assessment Centres (CAC).
“It may create overcrowding at the centres. We had cases where CACs were shuttered due to crowding and there is lack of standard operating procedure (SOP) there on how to handle those were tested positive,” Rajiv noted.
