KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — A memo has reportedly been sent to all medical personnel of Sungai Buloh Hospital stating that they risk disciplinary action if found to be flouting Covid-19 SOPs.
According to Malaysiakini, the notice was sent by hospital director Dr Kuldip Kaur Prem Singh who said staff would be called to account if they tested positive for the coronavirus.
This comes amid claims that the hospital has been hit by a Covid-19 outbreak among its medical personnel.
The situation is said to have led to a staff shortage at the hospital which is the main Covid-19 designated facility in Malaysia.
Quoting sources, Malaysiakini reported that the primary objective of the notice was to compel errant personnel to follow the rules.
“We have to be strict when it comes to the SOP, being a primary fully Covid-19 hospital. This is for the sake of the staff wellbeing too, and for their family and the community,” one of the sources within the hospital was quoted as saying.
“Hopefully, when they have to put into writing their reasons for not following the SOP, they would come to realise that we are still at war (with Covid-19),” adding that those who failed to follow the SOP would be issued with a show-cause letter.
Last week, the Health Ministry revealed that cumulatively 1,771 hospital staff have been infected by Covid-19 as of December 18, with nurses making up the highest number of those infected.
Out of the hospitals in Klang Valley, Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital Klang leads with 54 cases, followed by Serdang Hospital (29), Sungai Buloh Hospital (15), Kuala Lumpur Hospital (10), Ampang Hospital (five) and Selayang Hospital (four).
A total of 587 cases (33.1 per cent) of the infections involving hospital staff nationwide came from the community, 565 (31.9 per cent) from fellow healthcare staff, 152 (8.6 per cent) from patients that had not been found positive, 58 (3.3 per cent) unknown and 409 (23.1 per cent) still under investigation, the ministry added.