Repurpose army hospitals, barracks for outpatient treatment, says Kadir Jasin

 

A Kadir Jasin says the armed forces medical corps can be mobilised during the emergency. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Army hospitals and barracks could be repurposed to provide outpatient treatment or treat Covid-19 patients to help reduce the burden of hospitals attending to the growing number of cases during an emergency, veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin said.

He said the Malaysian Armed Forces Royal Medical Corps could be mobilised for civil duty.

“And if there is a shortage of ambulances, the government can carry out a requisition of private medical assets.

“Based on my understanding, this is how an emergency can make containing the pandemic easier and faster,” he said in a Facebook post today

However, Kadir warned that if the Covid-19 situation did not improve, the people could not be faulted for assuming that the emergency was declared solely to keep the Perikatan Nasional government in power.

On Tuesday, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, declared a state of emergency to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The Palace said the King consented for the emergency to last until Aug 1, or an earlier date if Covid-19 cases were reduced by then, following a meeting with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Last month, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah spoke about the problems faced by the public health system in trying to transport patients to hospitals, particularly in the Klang Valley.

Following complaints of long waiting times for ambulances, he urged those who tested positive but were asymptomatic to self-isolate at home while awaiting further instruction from the ministry.

Earlier this month, the health ministry said it was mulling getting asymptomatic patients and those with mild Covid-19 symptoms to quarantine themselves at home, or even at hotels if they could afford it.

It said this was because public hospitals were reaching their full capacities. - FMT