KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — The Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) reminded patients not to defer treatment, reassuring them that private hospitals remained safe during the Covid-19 epidemic.
APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh stressed that the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Private Medical Practice Control Section (CKAPS) ensures private health facilities follow regulations to the letter, saying: “Now we are the safest place to be in during the pandemic”.
“We stress that patients should not defer their treatment, follow-up and early intervention for their health just because of Covid,” APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh told CodeBlue today.
“They must be reminded that if their medical condition is not kept under control, they will be in the high-risk group if they contract Covid,” he added, citing non-communicable diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as surgical conditions that may lead to complications if delayed.
Underlying medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and high cholesterol are risk factors for developing severe Covid-19 disease.
“Just keeping well at home is not enough. If they have a known condition, it has to be reviewed regularly,” Dr Kuljit said, adding that cancer treatment must not be postponed either.
Last Tuesday, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told the public to avoid visiting patients in hospitals, saying the risk of Covid-19 infection was high.
