KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 – A total of 80 medical staff from the Ministry of Health (MOH) have tested positive for Covid-19, though none were infected from handling coronavirus patients.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced that the highest number of health workers’ coronavirus infections were detected in Hospital Teluk Intan (HTI), Perak, at 39 cases; followed by Hospital Selayang, Selangor (five); Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kelantan (four); and Hospital Seri Manjung, Perak and Hospital Tunku Ja’afar Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, both at 3 cases each.
“According to the investigation, the cause of infection for all of these health personnel is NOT due to the positive COVID-19 case management at the MOH health facility,” Dr Noor Hisham clarified.
Another 25 government clinics and hospitals around the country, including MOH’s headquarters in Putrajaya, made up the remaining 26 positive cases.
Yesterday Dr Noor Hisham announced that 47 MOH staff who contracted Covid-19 were related to weddings that had been attended by those who joined the tabligh event.
As of yesterday, 1,895 MOH health care workers who handle Covid-19 patients in MOH facilities have been tested for coronavirus, of which 1,187 tested negative, while 708 were awaiting test results. None have tested positive, according to the Health DG.
“All health care workers and frontliners are advised to practice preventive measures, like ensuring your hands are always clean, social distancing, and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) according to need,” Dr Noor Hisham said.
As for HTI, Dr Noor Hisham said yesterday that a ward at HTI will be reopened after it has been cleaned and disinfected.
“We hope we can coordinate and send doctors and nurses from other places to Teluk Intan Hospital.”
Yesterday, MOH clarified that HTI is still operating as usual, although its Emergency Department and observational ward at that department were closed today for cleaning and disinfection. The Emergency Department is temporarily operating at the building of the outpatient unit.
