DG Hisham calls on private, non-MOH labs to step up
COVID-19 | Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has urged laboratories run by the military, universities and private entities to be more efficient in processing Covid-19 test samples.
Speaking in an online press conference this evening, he shared that public hospital laboratories were running RT-PCR tests for the disease at almost 100 percent capacity...
COVID-19 | Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has urged laboratories run by the military, universities and private entities to be more efficient in processing Covid-19 test samples.
Speaking in an online press conference this evening, he shared that public hospital laboratories were running RT-PCR tests for the disease at almost 100 percent capacity.
The ministry’s national public health laboratories (MKAK), meanwhile, were running the test at 93 percent of their capacity.
Others, however, were testing way below what they were capable of.
“We realise now that at university laboratories, they have only done 27 percent. So there is actually (room) for them to increase (the processing) of more tests in the universities.
“In private laboratories, it is only at 31 percent.
“And also the army hospital (laboratories) it is at 24 percent,” the top official said.
He thus proposed these under-testing laboratories hire more staff, redesign internal processes and improve data integration so they can process Covid-19 samples quicker.
If these facilities stepped up, Noor Hisham said Malaysia would be able to test closer to 76,805 tests per day - the daily maximum testing capacity.
The 68 public and private Covid-19 laboratories nationwide conducted a total of 33,078 tests yesterday - a mere 43 percent of the daily maximum capacity.
“The capacity at university, military and private laboratories can be increased more. We think if they increase (the number of processed tests), then we can increase testing to more than 76,000 a day.
“They do have the capacity but they are not doing it.
“So now, we have to encourage them to accept more samples there to do it. We hope we can work as a team, integrating public and private (laboratories),” Noor Hisham said.
Of the 68 laboratories, 21 are situated inside public hospitals, seven are ministry-run, 23 are private, 13 are university-run, three are military-run and one is operated by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.
86 in private hospitals
Meanwhile, the top official shared that five more private hospitals have come on board to help treat Covid-19 patients, bringing the total to 100 private hospitals.
This means private hospitals now contribute 1,346 normal Covid-19 beds, 65 ICU beds and 64 ventilators to the public healthcare system.
READ MORE: Health DG details roles of private hospital, still waiting on insurance firms
The ministry decided to rope in the private sector after public hospitals struggled to cope with the rising Covid-19 cases.
He said 129 of the 210 private hospitals nationwide are assessed as being capable of handling such cases.
As of today, Noor Hisham said 86 Covid-19 cases were being treated at private healthcare facilities. Twenty-four were warded in intensive care units, of which seven needed intubation.
This evening’s press conference heard in-depth presentations from four ministry experts on the country’s Covid-19 response mechanism.
Hospital Sungai Buloh infectious disease consultant Dr Suresh Kumar Chidambaram explained Covid-19 infectivity while Institute of Medical Research (IMR) Virology Unit head Dr Ravindran Thayan spoke on testing strategies.
National Public Health Laboratory (MKAK) director Dr Hani Mat Hussin describing the Public Health Laboratory Information System (Simka).
The last presentation was by the ministry’s Private Medical Practice Control Section (CKAPS) deputy director Dr Mohamed Ahsan Mohamed Ismail, who spoke on integrating the private sector to combat Covid-19.
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