Private medical specialists urged to come forward to help combat Covid-19

Datuk Dr Balwant Singh

PETALING JAYA: All members of the Association of Specialists in Private Medical Practice of Malaysia (ASPMPM) should come forward and help the nation overcome the Covid-19 crisis, says its president Datuk Dr Balwant Singh Gendeh.

"This is our calling and our duty to the sick and the nation.

"All private medical specialists will support the Health Ministry fully and work together with the private hospitals each one is attached to, to combat the virus," he said in a statement Sunday (March 29).

This follows the ministry's announcement of its plan to bring in the private sector to look after medical and surgical non-Covid-19 emergencies and urgent cases that overflow from public hospitals.

The association also urged the government to ensure adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies for all frontline doctors, as there are increasing reports of healthcare workers succumbing to the virus in other countries, he added.

"We hope the government and NGOs can look into residential facilities for frontline staff to stay especially those involved with ICU care so that they do not infect their family members in case they become positive for the virus," he said.

The association also supports the stern lockdown measures that hopefully will control the outbreak as Malaysia cannot afford to risk a "tsunami" of cases like Europe, he added.