Galen Centre: Health Minister needed urgently to manage Covid-19

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin must immediately identify and appoint a Health Minister as the Covid-19 outbreak appears to be on the cusp of a pandemic, says Galen Centre.

Its chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said the new government must place the response and management of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak as a matter of the highest priority to protect the health and safety of all Malaysians.

“The appointment of the Health Minister will fill a critical gap in the leadership of the country’s public health system, particularly of the Covid-19 multi-ministerial taskforce.

“She or he will need to ensure that our critical frontline healthcare professionals and supporting services continue to be provided with adequate logistical, manpower and funding.

“This will ensure that Malaysia’s health services are able to maintain its efforts to contain the disease and treat those infected, ” said Azrul in a statement Monday (Mar 2).

He credited the Health Ministry’s personnel for Malaysia’s exemplary response in managing Covid-19 cases domestically, but pointed out that the role of the Health Minister is now more essential than ever.

This is because the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently increased its Covid-19 risk assessment to the highest level of alert or highest level of risk assessment in terms of spread and impact.

“We appear to be on the precipice of a pandemic, if we’re not already in one.”

“We have seen the role of Health Minister become more essential than ever before to communicate developments and progress to the Malaysian public of the ongoing efforts by the government to curtail the health threat.

“Strong and competent leadership makes a difference, ” he said.