Immigration officers want field hospitals at depots with Covid-19 outbreak

Three Covid-19 clusters have been discovered at immigration depots in Sepang, Bukit Jalil and Semenyih, leading to a spike in cases.

PETALING JAYA: A union for immigration officers has called on Putrajaya to set up field hospitals at the three detention centres that have been affected by a Covid-19 outbreak.

The Peninsula Malaysia Immigration Service Union (KPISM) said these field hospitals would serve to ensure the wellbeing of officers on duty, as well as to advise on health and safety matters at the centres.

The union’s president, Norhisham Murujan, said the authorities must also ensure that there were sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and other disinfection equipment for officers.

In a statement, he also defended the raids conducted by the immigration authorities, saying they were only doing their duty according to the law.

He said the raids at several locked-down localities were necessary as the big number of illegal immigrants there could threaten the safety of the community once the lockdown was over.

There are currently three Covid-19 clusters at immigration depots in Sepang, Bukit Jalil and Semenyih, with the outbreaks contributing to a three-digit spike in cases for the second day in a row.

Some of the patients included undocumented migrants detained during operations at various locations, including Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur. - FMT