COVID-19 | The Semporna District Health Office will be conducting routine health checks on Pulau Omadal as prevention against any potential Covid-19 outbreak among the Bajau Laut stateless communities.
Semporna district health officer Dr Shameer Khan Sulaiman told Malaysiakini this after the detection of positive Covid-19 cases on the island and difficulties faced to convince the islanders to seek treatment on the mainland.
"Discussions were made and the most optimum care and solution would be for them to be admitted in the hospital.
"Negotiations are still ongoing," Shameer said, adding that the discussions were held together with a representative from local NGO Iskul Sama DiLaut Omadal.
Pulau Omadal is located at the Celebes Sea, about 18 kilometres from Semporna town and accessible by boats. Many of the islanders are of the Bajau Laut ethnicity.
"We understand their reservations about staying on land and leaving their safe haven, so the Semporna District Health Office will do routine checks on the community health in that area and as always provide emergency and medical evacuation, if necessary.
"Health promotion and education will be brought in as well to ensure this community stays safe," Shameer said when contacted.
In reaffirming the government's commitment to provide equal healthcare treatment for all regardless of their citizenship status, Shameer said the extension hospital in Semporna is equipped with close to 1,000 beds and is now only 30 percent filled.
"In view of the extension hospital still capable of admitting patients, it is not wise to have an extension hospital on every populated island as it will require us to break our resources and scatter them everywhere," he said, pointing out that there are 48 islands across Semporna, of which 26 are populated.
"Most of these islands do not have basic facilities including proper buildings, electricity and water supplies.
"They are also geographically far apart so weather conditions for the sea journey must be taken into account as well if a patient needs urgent admission to the hospital, making it difficult to ensure the care we give is at par with the rest," he added.
On Oct 27, Malaysiakini reported that a group of activists found themselves supervising quarantine for at least nine Covid-19 patients in the stateless communities of Pulau Omadal.
The good samaritans, who are with the Iskul Sama DiLaut Omadal, had to step in as many of the stateless people were afraid to go to the hospital.
Aside from healthcare, Iskul together with several other NGOs have also raised donations and coordinated distribution of food packs for the islanders who have been advised to stay at home.
When contacted, Iskul co-founder Chuah Ee Chia said 122 food packs were distributed yesterday and more will be delivered today via boat.
"Iskul will only focus on welfare by providing food packs.
"We will not monitor the patients but will support the district health office in their routine checks," she added.
The Health Ministry first announced the existence of the Omadal cluster last week, where it said that the index case was found positive after he was tested on Oct 18.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah on Friday announced that 13 more individuals linked to the cluster have tested positive, bringing the total to 35. - Mkini
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