With more than a month since covid-19 outbreak (second wave in early March), more than two weeks into movement control order (MCO) since March 18, designated covid-19 hospitals start operation in every state since March, PPE for the front-liners are found to be very lacking and insufficient.
In collaborating with National Security Council (NSC), Ministry of Health is
- To prioritize PPE resources allocation and deliveries to designated Covid-19 treatment hospitals.
- To prevent/avoid short supplies attributed from suppliers seeking cash payment or higher prices.
- To be transparent with the PPE stock levels and and allocations for these designated Covid-19 treatment hospitals, to facilitate PPE resources to be replenished at the right places, in timely manner, and consider expropriation should situation arises.
As the global demands for these PPE resources are huge, civil society groups are urged to first validate on suppliers’ supply position, i.e. to ensure those are urgent items and ready for immediate delivery, to prevent unnecessary competition with government purchases.
Thus I call upon civil society groups to crowd funds to procure PPE/materials ONLY IF those are ready for immediate delivery; or else, should prioritize the funds to provide food/support to those vulnerable families due to MCO/Covid-19 and the anticipated soon-to-be economy recession.
Civil societies have earlier mobilized comprehensively, with high efficiency in gathering emergency PPE resources support for these hospitals, government agencies need to step up now to facilitate/supervise the suppliers to ensure all front-liners requirements are met.
Our Health care workers are the last defence to the disease, and face much higher risks than those at home, close coordination between ministry of health and suppliers to protect our front-liners are of great urgency.