CORONAVIRUS | Health Ministry Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has warned against those who are spreading personal information of Covid-19 patients, as the patients themselves can lodge a police report against this breach of their privacy.

“This is wrong because it is against the Medical Act 1971. You cannot reveal the identity and medical records of the patient, unless it has been consented to by the patient.

“Likewise, for example, during the first wave, we did actually reveal some of our patients for the public but all our patients have given us their consent to show their photos or even to share their history.

“So consent is very important. If you do not have consent, it is wrong to reveal the name and identity of the patient.

“Yes, obviously (action can be taken against those who have revealed a patient’s personal information). Those involved can lodge a police report and bring this up,” Noor Hisham said in a press conference at the Health Ministry in Putrajaya today.

He stressed that it is the patient’s rights whether they want to reveal themselves as Covid-19 patients or not, as Case 26 had done when he released a press statement addressing his patient status.

Case 26 was the Khazanah executive director and Uda Holdings chairperson Hisham Hamdan.

The number of Covid-19 positive cases in Malaysia have gone up by 153 cases as of noon today, bringing the total to 1,183.

Of the new cases, 90 are linked to the tabligh gathering at a mosque in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur late last month.