Covid-19: Country not ready for endemic phase, committee finds

 

COVID-19 | Malaysia is not ready to fully transition into an endemic phase of Covid-19 yet.

This is according to a report by the Parliament's Special Select Committee on Health, Science, and Innovation, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today.

"Based on the existing public health parameters, this committee concluded that our country is yet to be ready for a full transition into Covid-19 endemic phase at this juncture before all our recommendations are effectively implemented," the committee said in its summary of the report.

According to its findings, there are several areas in which Putrajaya needs to give extra focus in its Covid-19 management system, particularly to transition the country to the endemic stage.

This includes having a long-term plan to ensure a safe transition by having an effective Covid-19 immunisation programme and enhancing the public healthcare system.

"It is important to enhance the integration of technology and databases related to Covid-19 management, and to provide an effective communication strategy so that information on Covid-19 management can be delivered quickly and accurately."

In order to achieve this, the committee called for the government to allocate a budget that would allow "a more comprehensive healthcare system".

It added that the government should provide around four percent of the country's gross domestic product for healthcare in next year's budget, it said.

Finetune SOPs, more ICU beds

Another recommendation is to finetune existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) so they are more specific and clearer for the public to follow.

"The number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds at all general hospitals must be increased, as a preparation to face a sudden surge of new Covid-19 cases without jeopardising the quality of treatment of other patients.

"This includes an in-detail strategy to provide a 'modular ICU' or field hospital as soon as needed should a surge of cases happen."

The select committee also stressed the importance of improving the MySejahtera application, particularly in its function as a contact tracing tool.

It said the application should be equipped with functions needed to do contact tracing and notify the affected individuals for more effective outbreak control.

"This has to be done through continuous comparative research," it said.

The committee also said a Find-Test-Trace-Isolate-Support system (FTTIS) should be digitalised and incorporated into MySejahtera.

In the report, the committee told the government it is important to have better cooperation with state governments and other stakeholders, particularly in being transparent and providing granular data on Covid-19.

It would empower the states and stakeholders to make decisions on managing Covid-19 in their localities, which they understand better.

The government was also urged not to be dependent on a total lockdown strategy or imposing movement control orders whenever there is a sudden surge in the number of coronavirus cases in a certain area.

Instead, the committee suggested that Putrajaya come up with a new comprehensive plan on how to tackle the outbreak. - Mkini