GEORGE TOWN – A total of 32 nursing home residents including a 106-year-old woman has been admitted to the Penang Hospital after they were confirmed to be positive with Covid-19.
A source said that the management’s slow reaction to the situation has put other residents’ lives at risk as there were a total of 41 residents at the nursing home.
Despite discovering the infections, the management of the nursing home failed to inform the authorities immediately.
“The management’s slow reaction showed that they were not concerned about the dangerous situation, which included ignoring the welfare and health safety of the residents at the nursing home.
“The two nurses from Sabah were the first to get infected and they were not isolated from the residents. They were allowed to continue staying at the nursing home,” said the source who is a relative of one of the residents.
“The 106-year-old woman should have been taken out of the home first for her safety as it was easy for the coronavirus to attack the vulnerable group, especially the aged.
“Their delay in reacting to the situation also meant that they were condoning the situation, helping to spread the coronavirus among other patients.
A state Health Department officer, when contacted, confirmed the incident, but declined to elaborate on the matter.
Attempts to reach the nursing home management for comments failed.
Yesterday, Penang reported a total of 325 new cases, and cumulative total of 143,590 cases in the state.
Northeast district had registered 72 new cases, Southwest district 48 cases, Seberang Prai Utara had 75 cases, Seberang Prai Tengah 96 cases and the Seberang Prai Selatan district with 32 new cases.
The state registered a total of 139,405 recovered cases and had so far reported 1,582 deaths. – The Vibes, October 28, 2021
