Health Ministry can't get involved into hospital cleaners not given PPE issue unless there is service disruption, says Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The issue of a workers’ union complaining that hospital cleaners were not given personal protective equipment (PPE) by its employer for cleaning hospitals that treat Covid-19 patients does not involve the Health Ministry, says Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The Health director-general said that it involved the concessionaire and it is an issue between the company and their workers and the union should engage with the company rather than the ministry.

“But we are monitoring the issue and advise the company to take drastic action to solve the issue as soon as possible,” he said during his daily Covid-19 update on Thursday (June 4).

He said the ministry could only take action against the concessionaire if there is disruption in services.

On Thursday, five National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services members were charged for defying the conditional movement control order (MCO) at the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (June 4).

They were jointly charged for gathering at the grounds of the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital on June 2 around 12.10pm, and defied the conditional movement control order (MCO).

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham also said that Malaysia was still under conditional MCO and demonstrations are prohibited.