The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) wishes to remind all health care workers and their families on the importance of adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and observing preventive measures at all times.
It is regrettable that a hospital in Kedah will be closed for three days for full sanitisation due to Covid-19 transmissions traced back to a health care worker.
Health care workers must ensure they are constantly mindful of their responsibilities to protect themselves, patients, colleagues and their family members against Covid-19 infections at all times even when off duty.
It is important that the family members of health care workers also consistently observe preventive measures and adhere to the SOPs or healthcare workers can be exposed to infections when they are at home and unprotected.
MMA is also deeply concerned upon hearing of health care workers who have not been fully adhering to the guidelines in infection control when seeing their patients.
All health care workers in particular those attending to patients at high risk of Covid-19, must ensure that they are adequately protected with the recommended PPE (personal protective equipment) according to the guidelines. It is unacceptable and inexcusable for a health care worker to ignore these basic protocols.
The health care sector is the most important sector at this time in the battle against Covid-19. Health care workers must ensure the highest standards of infectious disease control is maintained at all times. The coronavirus does not discriminate and anyone can be at risk.
Cases are on the rise in the country and yesterday we saw new cases spike to three digits (100). MMA is concerned that the public may be taking the SOPs lightly again as the economy is picking up and life may seem as if it has returned back to normal again.
Yesterday’s rise in cases to 100 should be taken seriously and as a warning that cases can easily spike to even three digits if anyone let’s their guard down.
We wish to remind all Malaysians to continue to fully adhere to the SOPs and observe the simple, basic preventive measures of washing hands frequently with soap or hand sanitising, physical distancing, wearing face masks when in public and avoiding crowds at all times.
Dr N. Ganabaskaran is president of the Malaysian Medical Association.
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