Health Ministry working on simplifying Covid-19 SOP, says Khairy

PUTRAJAYA: A more simplified and easily understandable Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) will be among the Health Ministry’s immediate “to-do” list.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin lamented that Malaysians have to scour through “mountains of pages” to understand what the SOP is for various situations in the country.

“Right now, people have to spend a lot of time going through the list finding out what’s happening,” said Khairy during a media interview on what the ministry’s plans are for the next 100 days.

Khairy said the ministry intends to make it clear for the public to know what they should do or can do in different levels of the Covid-19 outbreak.

He added that the ministry will be using examples of “best practices” for Covid-19 SOP in other countries.

“I think there’s too much sectoral SOPs that are too specific. I think we need to make it quite general, make it applicable across sectors.

“Also, I think we need to be clear with people that in an endemic situation, should a particular area see an outbreak, then we move to a second category where the SOPs are very clear.

“We need to move towards having very key and small lists of SOPs that are clear in different levels of outbreaks.

Key to the endemic phase is also a more enhanced level of contact tracing as well as a concise policy on Covid-19 testing, he said.

“In the next 100 days, we will announce the national testing policy. The policy will make it clear when and how often we have to undergo Covid-19 tests.

“If we test positive, we will know what the process will be for contact tracing and isolation.

“Contact tracing will also be more improved and automated,” said Khairy.