Paxlovid treatment for Covid-19 to be offered in private hospitals for free
In a statement today, the health minister said treatments using Paxlovid would be offered to patients for free at the private hospitals.
Antiviral Paxlovid courses will now be used to treat Covid-19 in private hospitals, following its successful utilisation in government health facilities, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
In a statement today, the health minister said treatments using Paxlovid would be offered to patients for free at the private hospitals.
“However, patients are still subject to charges for the consulting services and other related charges determined by the private health facilities,” Khairy said.
He said Paxlovid was used in government health facilities beginning April 15, 2022, and it was prioritised for high-risk Covid-19 patients.
As of June 5, a total of 1,364 patients had received Paxlovid and have recovered fully without any reported severe side effects.
The expansion of the Paxlovid treatment to private health facilities is to ensure better access for patients in Malaysia, he said.
In a separate statement today, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president Dr Kuljit Singh said they welcome this announcement as they will be able to treat Covid-19 more effectively.
“Patients seeking treatment for Covid-19 in private hospitals will have better recovery and lessen the probability of getting into Stages Four and Five,” he said.
Kuljit also stressed that there would be no charge for the Paxlovid treatment, aside from consultation fees and other hospital charges.
“Private specialists will follow the guidelines given by the Health Ministry on the prescription of this medication,” he added.
Protecting high-risk groups
Meanwhile, Khairy said the Health Ministry would start using the antibody-drug monoclonal Tixagevimab plus Cilgavimab (Evusheld) in government hospitals soon to ensure high-risk groups continue to be protected from Covid-19.
Research has shown that the Evusheld drug can protect the recipient from contracting Covid-19 for up to six months after the jab.
“For now, the Evusheld will only be given at government hospitals, and it can be used as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for those who are high-risk for Covid-19 but have yet to contract it,” Khairy said.
The selection criteria for patients to receive this drug are for those aged 12 years and above, weighing more than 40kg and considered to be among the moderate to severely immuno-compromised groups, as well as those who cannot receive vaccinations for medical reasons.
The Evusheld will be administered via two separate intramuscular jabs, which are the Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab components, respectively.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.