Covid-19: Health Ministry concerned over number of infected healthcare workers

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has expressed concern over the rise in Covid-19 cases among frontliners in the public and private sector.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 53% of the positive cases among healthcare workers were transmitted by their own colleagues.

This is further compounded by the Sungai cluster in Kedah and Perlis, which involves a private medical centre with healthcare workers making up the majority of cases.

“This situation is worrying because they (frontliners) play an important role as the backbone of the country’s health system.

“Our investigations reveal that most of the Covid-19 positive cases among healthcare workers come from within themselves.

"This contributes to about 53% of the cases involving healthcare workers, which translates to more than half.

“About 22% of the cases are community infections, while 17% are from managing Covid-19 patients whose status have not been confirmed yet.

“However, none of the cases involving the ministry’s healthcare workers have been due to managing Covid-19 positive patients at wards or intensive care units (ICU), ” said Dr Noor Hisham in a statement Wednesday.

He stressed that it is important for healthcare workers to always practise Covid-19 preventive measures at work, including physical distancing.

“Physical distancing at the workplace must be applied at all times, be it with colleagues or treating patients.This applies to the cleanliness of communal spaces such as nurse’s counters, food pantries, praying areas and staff toilets, ” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said usage of 3-ply surgical masks at all times was vital, while personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn during clinical procedures and while dealing with Covid-19 patients.

Outside of work, he said healthcare workers must also practise the new norms as well as the standard operating procedures (SOPs), when at home or public places.

The Sungai cluster saw an additional 13 confirmed cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 39.

The confirmed cases were spread in Kedah (38) and Perlis (one).

Dr Noor Hisham said a total of 1,091 close contacts in Kedah, Penang and Perlis have been screened under the cluster so far.

A total of 433 individuals have tested negative, while 619 people are still waiting for their results.

The index case is a 39-year-old healthcare worker at a private medical centre who tested positive for Covid-19 on Sept 5.

The woman had developed symptoms on Aug 30 but did not seek medical attention then.