Health Ministry mobilises specialist resources to deal with Sabah and Kedah clusters

PETALING JAYA: It’s all hands on deck for the Health Ministry as it moves to assist Sabah and Kedah deal with the growing Covid-19 cases, especially areas that have been put under the Targeted Enhanced Movement Control Order (TEMCO).

The country recorded 287 new cases on Friday, which is the highest since the Movement Control Order was enforced on March 18.

Of those, Kedah (129) and Sabah (113) recorded the highest number of cases and the Health Ministry has channeled much of its resources towards them.

“We are supporting them in terms of human resources to cover the services and care. The areas most affected at the moment are Tawau, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna in Sabah, and the Tembok cluster in Kedah,” Health Ministry Medical Development Division director Datuk Dr. Norhizan Ismail told theSun yesterday.

Norhizan, speaking at the launch of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Thyroid Disorders, said the ministry is mobilising its specialists into the affected areas.

“This includes our physicians, anaesthetists, medical officers and nurses. Everything is put into focus in the areas which are in lockdown or TEMCO. We have also given the hospitals which are challenged by this Covid situation the budget and equipment for them to be well prepared.”

When asked if there is a possibility of the country going into a second national lockdown on the back of the rising cases, Norhizan said there were many factors to be considered.

“It is not easy for us to simply go into lockdown, we have to look into various perspectives. But there is a high level of interest from different parties involved, and we will put our heads together to best manage this situation,” he said.

Earlier this morning, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin chaired a special high-level meeting on Covid-19 together with Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Senior Minister (Defence) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Senior Minister (International Trade and Industry) Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, Senior Minister (Works) Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and other related ministers.

On Oct 1, a total of 260 cases were recorded, which was the third highest in the country since June 4 (277), prompting the public to speculate if there would be another nationwide lockdown.