Chairman of the State Health and Local Government Committee Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman said staff at the hospital comprising doctors and nurses had tested positive for Covid-19, but the hospital will not be closed. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
ALOR SETAR, July 7 — The Kedah government has denied a viral message stating that the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) would be implemented at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH) in Sungai Petani following a flare-up in Covid-19 cases there.
Chairman of the State Health and Local Government Committee Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman said staff at the hospital comprising doctors and nurses had tested positive for Covid-19, but the hospital will not be closed.
“This hospital will not be closed and neither will all the departments; only certain wards will be shut down for sanitisation, and the emergency services department is operating as usual.
“The viral message claiming that HSAH is closed is fake,” he said in a statement here today.
He said the viral message claimed that HSAH was closed and would be placed under EMCO after 100 of the staff tested positive for the Delta variant of Covid-19 that was traced in India and the Beta variant from South Africa.
“Appointments have been rescheduled at the outpatients and specialist clinics. Emergency treatment is proceeding as normal, as was announced by the director of HSAH,” he said, as the viral message also stated that the State Health Department had directed the hospital to only accept and treat emergency cases following the surge in Covid-19 cases.
He urged the public to remain calm and continue to observe standard operating procedures set by the Health Ministry and National Security Council and to stay at home if there was no need to go out. — Bernama