Covid 19 Delayed Patient Pick Up Due To No Data Integration With Private Labs

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COVID-19 | The delay in sending Covid-19 positive patients to the hospital was caused by a lack of data coordination between private laboratories and the Health Ministry, said Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He told a press conference today that this was what happened in Klang, which saw patients who tested positive for the coronavirus having to wait at their respective homes for days before being picked-up by an ambulance.
"In the cases of Covid-19 tests done with private labs, there are laboratories that have yet to have data integration with our public health information system.
"So, the first thing that we need to do now is to integrate these data on positive cases.
"All positive cases detected by private laboratories, they are required to inform their respective district health officer. After which, appropriate actions would be carried out," he said this evening.
Noor Hisham was responding to questions posed by Malaysiakini and China Press over incidences in the Klang district of Selangor, where positive patients complained they had to stay at home albeit having tested positive for Covid-19, and thus putting their loved ones at risk.
Some of them claimed they were only picked-up by an ambulance to the hospital between five and nine days after getting their test results.
Noor Hisham also noted there were other constraints faced by the health authorities, including a delay in test results, that led to the problem.
"Thus, we advise all who have taken Covid-19 tests and suspect that they have been exposed to positive cases, to stay at home while waiting for the results. Make sure that they have also notified the district health office.
"And if there are incidents where there is a delay in response, like what happened in Sabah, what is important is for them to stay put at home. And we will send our ambulances or other vehicles to pick them up.
"There is no issue with our response or our officers," he said.
Meanwhile, regarding the permission that the Health Ministry granted to several MPs under quarantine to attend the Dewan Rakyat session earlier this week, Noor Hisham said it was not the first time such permission was given.
He said the director-general (DG) of health is provided with such power by the law, to consider applications made by patients or persons under surveillance to get out of their quarantine.
"For example, if there are applications in cases of death, or they (patients) want to visit family members who are being treated in hospital, they can apply to the DG, and the Health DG would do a risk assessment on the cases.
"There will be conditions set, and usually they would be accompanied by healthcare workers during the visit or duty they have to carry out," he said.
Noor Hisham added that the Health Ministry had made a similar move during the Sabah state election recently when Covid-19 positive patients were allowed to go to vote at their respective polling centres, where they had to wear full personal protective equipment.
Two days ago, Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh posted on Facebook, questioning the decision to allow MPs, who have been ordered to undergo quarantine, to attend the Parliament sitting, so that they could participate in the Budget 2021 voting process.
On another matter, Noor Hisham also thanked a private clinic doctor in Rawang for lodging a police report over fake Covid-19 test results, which were falsified using the clinic's name.
He said such an act is an offence punishable by the law, and the Health Ministry will extend their cooperation to the police and Human Resources Ministry in the investigation. - Mkini

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