GEORGE TOWN – Old folks’ and nursing homes have been reminded to ensure proper precautions are in place to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks, following infections among several residents and employees at a home in Penang recently.
State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh said residents at these homes are at high risk of contracting Covid-19 if their managements do not adhere strictly to the Health Ministry’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) and state guidelines.
Among the guidelines for such Penang homes are constant testing and isolation of new residents while limiting the intake of elderly people to ensure that there is space for proper physical distancing to be observed.
Phee, who oversees the welfare portfolio, said that residents at many nursing homes are at risk if management becomes complacent in observing the SOPs, the state Welfare Committee’s advice on handling the pandemic and other relevant preventive measures.
“Many nursing home managements in Penang fail to follow the procedures and then sweep the whole thing under the carpet to avoid being on the list of infected sites,” he said.
Phee was asked to comment on claims that several nursing homes in the state failed to alert the authorities for fear of repercussions to their businesses.
He added that some nursing homes allegedly do not inform the Health Department and hide the truth when they detect cases among their residents or employees.
He said that while they care for the interest of their businesses, they should not neglect their moral duty to alert the authorities.
“The state has warned nursing homes not to take too many people beyond their capacities,” Phee said.
For example, a home with a 15-person capacity could end up taking 30 people and not observe the rule that new residents undergo Covid-19 testing 10 days before joining any home.
“The new residents must undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and be quarantined for 10 days before being allowed to mix with the other residents at the nursing home.
“The problem with the nursing homes is that their employees are free to go anywhere and can unknowingly transmit the virus,” Phee added.
He also stressed that the “saddest thing” is that some nursing homes withhold information from the authorities for fear of repercussions.
A nursing home recently saw 31 of its residents warded at Penang Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.
Additionally, two of its elderly residents, aged 81 and 106, died after contracting the virus.
The centre’s management has said that, among its measures after the first RTK test results came out positive, was to immediately test all the patients in the building, as well as the staff on and off duty.
It isolated all suspected cases while awaiting instructions from the Health Ministry.
“We informed the health authorities about the positive RTK test results within 10 minutes of the results. We gave 100% cooperation and responded quickly with every single request and every piece of information required.
“The nurses immediately prepared a medication list and background of the patients’ medical condition, reporting any symptoms of each patient,” the home’s management said. – The Vibes, November 2, 2021
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