JUST utilise all the transport services available at the ministries and other Government agencies to ferry COVID-19 patients to healthcare facilities, instead of relying on the ambulances.
“As most courses and programmes conducted by the Government agencies are halted due to the pandemic, just utilise the unused buses and vans to do the job.
“Let healthcare facilities use the ambulances for emergency cases such as accidents, heart attacks and other ailments that needs urgent attention,” Bukit Gasing state assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran told FocusM.
Yesterday, Health Ministry (MOH) director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that transportation delays were reason why he decided to request some asymptomatic COVID-19 patients to home quarantine themselves until they are picked up to be sent to the hospital.
He was reported saying that the transportation delay is primarily affecting patients in the Klang Valley. However, Noor Hisham affirmed that healthcare facilities still have sufficient beds to house patients.
Touching on the home quarantine decision, Rajiv said that many Malaysians do not have the luxury of having a single room to isolate themselves from their family members.
“It’s not going to work as it’s impractical. Not everyone in Malaysia is from the T20 category to have a single room to isolate themselves.
“Besides, families with young children will struggle to self-isolate at home as the latter can never understand why their parents will not come out of the room or let them in,” he said.
In terms workers’ accommodation, the DAP lawmaker said many migrant workers share living spaces and leaving them longer with each other will risk the virus spreading rapidly.
He added that Noor Hisham himself have admitted many of those wearing pink wristband – or even the asymptomatic ones – may go out to mingle around for a variety of reasons.
Rajiv then urged the MOH to utilise all Government resources to the maximum to battle the pandemic as the new infection cases are reaching worrying levels.
“Our battle against this pandemic is far from over and the weak strategies by the MOH is starting to falter.
“I strongly believe that it is crucial and critical for MOH to reevaluate their strategies while keeping in mind the intensity of this pandemic,” he said.
On a related matter, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was confused on the Government’s strategy to allow inter-state travel as the pandemic rages across Malaysia.
“Sometimes. I myself don’t understand the Government’s decisions. When the cases were low and contained in two states, they did not ban interstate travel, saying the pandemic was under control.
“But when infection cases passed the 1,000 mark daily and spread across the nation, only then the Government banned inter-state travels.
“And now with cases breaching the 2,000 mark, the Government decides to allow inter-state travel!
“It’s a shame that we did not ban inter-state travel in October itself,” the Pekan MP remarked. – Dec 29, 2020.
