KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has instructed private clinics, hospitals, and ambulatory care centres to notify it before providing Covid-19 screening and triaging services, including RT-PCR tests.
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said in an October 2 circular that approval for providing these services will be in force on the date of the self-declaration forms submitted by these private medical facilities to MOH’s Private Medical Practice Control Section (CKAPS).
“The self-declaration must be submitted to the Director of the Medical Practice, Ministry of Health Malaysia, at [email protected] before providing the related facilities and services,” Dr Adham said in his circular.
The self-declaration form — which asks private medical facilities to state the kinds of coronavirus tests provided, such as RT-PCR tests — also requires private health facilities to seek approval from local authorities for the use of premises for Covid-19 screening and triaging services.
The form also states that health care providers providing Covid-19 tests are running “low-risk” screening activities.
Dr Adham’s circular further states that test kits used by private health facilities must have a “surat tiada halangan” (no-objection letter) from the Medical Devices Authority. When using the RT-PCR method, testing must be done at laboratories accredited by MOH for Covid-19.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah previously said in a July 13 letter to private medical practitioner groups, including private hospitals and general practitioners, that MOH has permitted private health facilities to screen low-risk people for Covid-19 through the antigen rapid test kit.
The latest flowchart for sampling of Covid-19 by private health facilities can be found on Annex 2f, whereas the guideline on Covid-19 testing using antigen rapid test kits (RTK-Ag) for health facilities version 4.0 is listed on Annex 4c.
