Doctors urge gov’t to remove 'discriminatory' SOP for frontliners’ children

CORONAVIRUS | Over 200 paediatricians are calling on the government to remove a stipulation allegedly added to a ministry guideline which calls for children of frontliners to remain at home or be “isolated” from others at taska (childcare centres and nurseries).

Senior consultant paediatrician Dr Amar-Singh HSS deemed such advice as “discriminatory” and risked alienating frontliners and their children.

“This is discriminatory. It is a tough time for frontliners to serve and many have not seen their children, isolating themselves or leaving their children with grandparents, to avoid infecting them.

“Just remove it. By saying it, you are putting the idea in people’s mind (that frontliners and their families pose infection risks) when you see them in LRTs, supermarkets and others.

“Look at how they (the public) are treating foreign workers who have been serving this country, constructing buildings, serving us food for a very low wage,“ he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

According to Amar, the stipulation of the clause was included in a revised version of the post-movement control order (MCO) guide on Covid-19 prevention relating to taska safety released on Friday.

In a copy of the revised guide sighted by Malaysiakini, which was provided by Amar, Section 2.1.2 stated that “children of frontliners are at high risk of getting the (Covid-19) infection from their parents. The safest place for these children is home care. Even so, if frontliners’ children are sent to taska, they must be isolated from other children”.

A check on the Women, Family and Community Development ministry website found that the above line was not included in a "Pencegahan Penularan Covid-19 Pasca Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Bagi Keselamatan Warga Taman Asuhan Kanak-Kanak (tasks)" guideline uploaded on the site.

However, Amar said he had verified the latest version, in circulation by the ministry over the past 48-hours, with three senior officers within the ministry and Welfare Department. Malaysiakini has yet to independently verify this but several doctors have corroborated the claim.

Amar is among 250 signatories comprising paediatricians of a letter, supported by the Malaysian Paediatric Association, sent to the media.

He said the signatories hoped their letter would “get the ears” of the Health Ministry, including Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Although the letter was signed by paediatricians, Amar, who is also Perak Clinical Research Centre head, pointed out that frontliners were not confined to healthcare workers alone, but also the police, armed forces and those in the service sector.

“No one should be discriminated against,” he said.

In the letter sent yesterday, the doctors derided the new guideline as a “slap in the face” to all the frontliners in the country.

“Just two days ago, our Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin described the health personnel and other frontliners nationwide as ‘our national heroes’.

“So it is extremely painful to read the updated taska guideline/standard operating procedure (SOP) from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

“It communicates that ‘yes, we want your hard work, sacrifice and the risk to your health and that of your family, but we are not going to be there for your children’. Your children are ‘contaminated’ and should be segregated, preferably not even welcome to a nursery or childcare centre,” the letter read.

"The very individuals who desperately require childcare, so that they can serve us at this critical time, are being denied this,” it added.

The doctors questioned if the Health Ministry was consulted before the inclusion of this advice.

Malaysiakini has attempted to contact the Health Ministry director-general as well as the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry on this matter and is awaiting their response.

Malaysia had been placed under partial lockdown since March 18. However, on May 4, the government shifted to the conditional MCO, which allowed for most businesses to reopen, including daycare and other childcare centres and nurseries.

Schools, however, will remain closed. - Mkini