PETALING JAYA: After another day of record-breaking number of Covid-19 cases, health experts have called for mass Covid-19 screenings in every state.
Dr Steven Chow, president of the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Association Malaysia, explained that the high number of cases in Selangor now was due to successful mass screening.
“If you test more, you get more. If you don’t test, then there will be no new cases,” he told FMT.
“In fact, the whole country should have undergone mass screening months ago.”
Despite the daily four-digit cases reported by the state, Chow said it was important to consider the rate of infections for every 1,000 people, and to remember that Selangor had a large population.
Selangor has been conducting mass screenings in every constituency from May 8 to June 10. The state has been consistently recording the highest number of daily infections in the country, with 2,277 today.
Azrul Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre, said the epidemiology data in Selangor was possibly the most accurate representation of the latest Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
“It is very likely that the situation in other states is being seriously under-reported. After all, around 80% of those (found) positive with Covid-19 are asymptomatic,” he said.
He said the mass screenings also allowed Selangor to isolate patients, provide treatment earlier and even save lives.
Commenting on calls for a full-scale movement control order (MCO) in Selangor to curb the spread of the virus, Azrul reiterated that lockdowns were only a temporary measure to give the healthcare system some breathing space.
“Communicable diseases don’t really care whether you are a state under recovery MCO, conditional MCO or even MCO. What matters most is that the SOPs are being observed and practiced.”
However, should a stricter MCO be enforced, former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur must also be included.
The government is expected to decide on whether a stricter lockdown should be imposed under the current MCO at a National Security Council meeting tomorrow.
“For the Klang Valley, vaccinations should be expedited. If we can control the outbreaks in the Klang Valley, those outside of it will be indirectly protected,” said Lee.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said mass testing should be conducted in Covid-19 hotspots nationwide to prevent the virus from spreading.
“We should not be waiting for cases to pop up, we should be mass testing the community,” he said in a statement.
Although the recent surge in cases indicated a lack of SOP compliance, Subramaniam said faster vaccinations among vulnerable groups and in high-risk areas would help.
“Funds are also needed to immediately increase ICU capacity, medical equipment and resources in public hospitals. Shortages in manpower as well, will need to be addressed.”
As hiring full-timers might take too long, Subramaniam also suggested roping in medical and nursing students as well as assistants with basic medical knowledge to assist district health offices and public hospitals with contact tracing and administrative work. - FMT
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