PUTRAJAYA – A total of 186 private medical practitioners have been empowered under Section 10(2) of the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infections Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 to handle Covid-19 positive cases effective tomorrow, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
He said they were all authorised to issue surveillance and monitoring orders at home or quarantine and treatment centres, as well as instructions to wear quarantine wristbands.
“These private medical practitioners are allowed to handle Covid-19 positive cases at their workplaces, whether at clinics or private hospitals,” he told a media conference after launching a book titled The COVID-19 Chronicles of Malaysia: Navigating the Storm here today.
On the breakdown of the private medical practitioners involved according to states, Dr Adham said Selangor had the highest total, with 66, followed by Kuala Lumpur (43), Johor (26), Penang (16), and Negri Sembilan (13).
As for the remainder, Melaka and Perlis have four each, Perak and Terengganu three each; Pahang, Kelantan, and Sabah two each; while Kedah and Putrajaya have one each.
Dr Adham said that district health offices had been given the responsibility of preparing guidelines for these private medical practitioners.
He also said that the nation expects to achieve its target of vaccinating 60% of 500,000 frontliners by this week.
So far, he said, 195,923 individuals had been vaccinated.
A total of 4.68 million Malaysians have registered to receive the jab through the MySejahtera application.
Meanwhile, Dr Adham said the setting up of the National Vaccination Exigencies Fund regarding any side-effects arising from the jabs would be decided on Friday.
He said the Health Ministry would table the matter for discussion on various aspects at the cabinet level before it is implemented.
So far, he said there had been no report of any side effects from vaccine recipients.
The government had previously announced that it would set up a protection scheme aimed at providing compensation to vaccine recipients if any of them had any serious adverse effects from the vaccine. – Bernama, March 10, 2021
