Bukit Gasing assemblyperson Rajiv Rishyakaran will be bringing the RM70 Rapid Test Kits-Antigen (RTK-AG) private Covid-19 tests back to the public on Jan 18 after stopping the initiative on Jan 13 due to overwhelming response.
The RTK-AG tests will now be offered at a much bigger location at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Multipurpose Hall at Jalan 51A/227, he said.
However, for now, Rajiv plans to run a five-day test run from next Monday till Friday (Jan 18 to 22), with the RTK-AG tests being offered from 1pm to 5pm on those days.
“The public really appreciated (the Covid-19 tests with reduced cost), appreciated it too much until the clinics became too crowded, causing a lot of worries. So a few days ago, I had to post that we had to suspend walk-in testing at the clinics.
“We were looking for a bigger venue to accommodate the demand, and now we are pleased to announce that the initiative is back on.
“For a start, we will be running this over a five-day trial period until Jan 22. This will give us time to evaluate the challenges, learn from them and make the necessary changes to continue the initiative,” he said in an online press conference today.
He said the new venue is a spacious and well-ventilated hall with plenty of parking space and area for people to line up while waiting to get tested and thus, it is safer for everyone.
Rajiv has also engaged with the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) for security and ensuring those lining up for the tests are observing standard operating procedures (SOP), he said.
He also clarified that the RM70 RTK-AG testing is available to everyone and is not limited to Petaling Jaya residents or even Malaysian citizens.
The testing will be conducted at the hall by their previous clinic partners, Rajiv said, adding that they are targetting up to 250 walk-in patients per day.
“It is on a walk-in basis, first-come-first-served. There is no need to make an appointment, no need to call.
“Just come, line up and take the test,” he said.
If the initiative runs smoothly during the five-day trial run, Rajiv said his intention is to offer the RM70 RTK-AG testing to the public for the long term.
“My intention is to continue in the hall, but I want to see five days first because nobody else has done anything like this before, this is the first time.
“We want to promise the public for five days, and then we will see the situation and how we can plan for the next one month after the five days,” he said.
Previously, Rajiv started the initiative on Nov 6 exclusively for Bukit Gasing residents. He has since expanded the initiative to everyone.
He has also said that the reduced cost of the tests is based on his negotiations with the supplier of the test kits as well as the clinics.
He stressed that the reduced cost of the test was not due to any subsidies from his office. - Mkini
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