Time to get serious again about Covid-19, Health Minister told

A medical worker collects swab sample from a women during Covid-19 testing at Dewan Seri Cempaka in Kajang. (May 8,2021) — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

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PETALING JAYA: It is time for Malaysians to get serious about safeguarding themselves against Covid-19, says a former health minister.

Khairy Jamaluddin, in congratulating Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad on his recent appointment as Health Minister, said the country needed to be prepared for the possibility of an outbreak of the virus.

“We wish him all the best in carrying out his duties in a ministry with which he is well familiar,” he said in a joint statement with former deputy international trade and industry minister Ong Kian Ming.

They suggested Dr Dzulkefly consider several measures in preparation for a prolonged surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, adding that cases reached a yearly high of 29,129 cases on Dec 11.

They urged the minister to reinstate the Test, Report, Isolate, Inform, Seek (TRIIS) framework to alert the public that they should take preventive measures and for the public sector to be prepared for the possibility of a new wave of infections.

The Health Ministry should also recommend booster shots, especially for those in vulnerable groups.

“The ministry should work together with the Finance Ministry to facilitate a transparent procurement process for the latest variants of booster vaccines that are available in the market.

“At the same time, the Health Ministry should reactivate the vaccination ecosystem through private and public clinics and hospitals,” the duo said.

The Health Ministry should also consider resuming the use of MySejahtera for reporting and monitoring Covid-19 patients, said Khairy and Ong.

“The ministry should also deploy its data analytics team or work with others with data analytics capabilities to analyse new Covid-19 data to look for new patterns of outbreaks based on location, workplace and other patient demographics,” they added.