FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak queried on why the Government needs to invoke an Emergency Ordinance (EO) to convert Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Specialist Children’s Hospital (HPKK) into a COVID-19 treatment centre.
“Why do we need to use EO to convert a hospital built using public funds and receive Government support yearly to focus on COVID-19?
“It’s like using the EO to force yourself to help yourself. This is what happens when you keep praising invoking the Emergency when it’s actually not needed,” he said in a Facebook post.
Last month, Health Ministry (MOH) director general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Government plans to turn HPKK and Cyberjaya Hospital into designated COVID-19 treatment facilities.
Under Section 3 and 4 of the Emergency Ordinance 2021, he said MOH can take temporary possession of premises and resources, including human resources of a teaching hospital and private hospital to combat COVID-19.
“Malaysia saw a 60% increase in ICU admission nationwide compared to the previous two weeks, while the Klang Valley recorded an increase of over 94% compared to the same period.
“The utilisation of COVID-19 beds in the Klang Valley is now over 100%,” Noor Hisham posted on Facebook then.
Najib reminded the Government that HPPK was launched during his administration in 2013, adding Putrajaya allocates about RM22 mil annually to cover its operations cost.
“This year, it received RM21.34 mil which is 10% lower than the RM23.7 mil received last year,” the Pekan MP stated. – June 12, 2021
