GEORGE TOWN – Bipartisanship is important for Penang to contain the pandemic as much of the needed resources are managed by the federal Health Ministry, said newly minted state-federal Covid-19 coordinator Steven Sim.
He refuted allegations that his appointment was not “sanctioned” by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“What some social media accounts are trying to depict is untrue. My appointment was done with the blessings of Chow and (Health Minister) Khairy Jamaluddin, as well as the state government.
“Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng also offered his input. Both sides of the divide must come together to address the pandemic,” he told The Vibes.
Of late, Lim has expressed his displeasure over Penang’s response to its latest Covid-19 surge. Chow has remained silent on the DAP secretary-general’s criticism.
Based on the available data, said Sim, Covid-19 is more sporadic in Penang, with the state logging an average of 1,600 cases daily over the past week.
He said infection is no longer confined to factories or workplaces, but has become entrenched in the community.
Virus deaths in Penang have also gone up, with 27 recorded yesterday, adding to a tally of 915 since March last year.
“We have to deal with it, and we are now focused on an immediate action plan to help Penang handle this latest surge,” said Sim.
The national immunisation programme is ramping up in the state, with 91% of those registered via MySejahtera getting their first dose, while 67% are fully vaccinated.
Yesterday, Sim unveiled six priorities following his appointment.
The first is to improve facilities and equipment for patients in Categories 3 to 5.
This includes providing additional intensive care unit beds and opening up more low-risk quarantine and treatment centres (PKRCs) to accommodate a growing number of Categories 1 and 2 cases.
Through better monitoring, health authorities hope to reduce the number of brought-in-dead cases.
Secondly, Sim wants to improve Covid-19 Assessment Centres’ response time.
“In Penang, there must be same-day response for ambulance services and quarantine services, and various types of treatment offered.
“There was one instance where my friend waited five days before knowing whether he needed to be treated at a PKRC. By then, he had infected a family member because he was living in a crowded house.”
Thirdly, an enforcement division is expected to be set up to conduct checks on factories and crowded workplaces.
This is to ensure the standard operating procedures are heeded, and to offer risk-analysis updates to employers.
Fourth is for an uninterrupted supply of vaccines to be delivered by next month, to see to it that 100% of those registered in Penang are fully inoculated.
The fifth focus is to reduce the infection and death rates by providing the best healthcare services available.
Lastly, Sim wants the daily virus medical reports to be more transparent and compact. – The Vibes, September 12, 2021
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