Tighten SOPs to prevent overcrowding, Sabah told

 

Khairy Jamaluddin at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He said the PWD would make a decision soon on the hospital’s buildings that have been declared unsafe after a landslide. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Vaccination centres in Sabah have been told to tighten their enforcement of standard operating procedures to ensure there is no overcrowding.

Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that although walk-in vaccinations were allowed, the enforcement of the SOPs, including physical distancing, needed to be tightened to ensure that the vaccination process remains under control.

“We can’t avoid people coming (to PPV) as the vaccination rate in Sabah is increasing and more and more people realise the need to be vaccinated. So when (vaccination) is opened on a ‘walk-in’ basis, there may be overcrowding.

“However, I have instructed PPV managers and also the enforcement team involved for SOPs to be strictly enforced so that there is no overcrowding,” he told reporters here today.

Earlier, he inspected the location of the landslide involving several buildings in Complex C, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) following recent heavy rainfall.

Also present were health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Sabah health director Dr Rose Nani Mudin and HQE director Dr William Gotulis.

Khairy was commenting on the issue of walk-in vaccination in Sabah since Aug 12, which reportedly caused overcrowding at several PPVs, including the Sabah international convention centre here.

On the affected HQE building, he said the public works department (PWD) was conducting a damage assessment and the health ministry would obtain cost estimates from the department to apply for allocation for the repair works.

“PWD will make a decision on the tuberculosis clinic and the buildings here. This building is classified as unsafe at the moment,” he said.

Last Friday, five high-risk buildings at HQE, located near the landslide area namely medicines and consumables store, chronic medicine ward, rehab ward, tuberculosis clinic and sleep lab, were vacated as a safety measure.

Earlier, Khairy attended a briefing by Dr William on the capacity of HQE, especially in dealing with Covid-19 patients.

Khairy also presented welfare assistance to 14 hospital staff affected by floods and landslides. - FMT