State health director claims Kajang docs' accusation of inaction has no basis

CORONAVIRUS | Selangor Health Department director Dr Shaari Ngadiman has dismissed the accusation by a group of doctors in Kajang that a government clinic failed to act after one of its staff was tested positive for Covid-19.

According to him, there was no basis to the claim.

Shaari said the officer who tested positive had contracted the virus outside and not during disease management operations at the clinic.

"I am addressing the matter. Because the claim has no basis. So, please let me handle it.

"The case where our officer was infected by the virus has no link to disease management (procedure). The officer got it from somewhere else.

"There is no issue," he told Malaysiakini.

Sources told Malaysiakini that the group of nine doctors attached to the Sungai Chua Health Clinic had penned a letter to Health Minister Dr Adham Baba regarding their concerns.

According to the letter sighted by Malaysiakini, the doctors claimed that previous complaints which were raised with the state health department had fallen on deaf ears.

"Refer to the matter above, we would like to highlight a few serious matters to your attention hoping YBM will take stern action immediately. The problems we are facing are as listed below.

"1. Despite one MO (medical officer) being tested positive for Covid-19, it took more than 24 hours for FMS to decide whether decontamination of the clinic was needed or not. KK (health clinic) needs to be closed, quarantined and for samples to be taken from staff and staff exposed to other patients.

"2. (There were) staff who were not quarantined after sample taking," read the letter.

The document mentioned the names of several others, including two doctors and a nurse who were allegedly being tested for the virus. Malaysiakini is withholding their names to protect their identities.

All nine doctors who signed the letter had included their full names and medical council identifications. Upon checking with the registry which is accessible to the public, Malaysiakini found that eight of the names had Klinik Kesihatan Sg Chua listed as their current place of practice, while another was listed as a doctor at Serdang Hospital.

The letter also claimed that healthcare workers at the facility had been facing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

They claimed that staff were not allowed to change their face masks and face shields after checking each patient, while those in different shifts had to share face shields.

The head of the clinic had also been accused of keeping PPEs that were donated to the clinic in the person's office, among other allegations. - Mkini