The PN government should double or triple the funding and resources spent to fully implement the 3Ts of testing, tracing and treatment to ensure that all close contacts of COVID-19 patients are subjected to full screening tests. Due to the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of resources and manpower by the PN government, there are an estimated tens of thousands of “untraced” close contacts of COVID-19 patients.
Full implementation of the 3Ts of testing, tracing and treatment, including full screening tests, is most effective in containing the spread of COVID-19. Health Ministry Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has confirmed that screening tests will no longer be conducted on every individual identified as close contacts to Covid-19 positive patients, and instead only test those who show symptoms.
The dangers of not conducting a full screening tests on all close contacts and asymptomatic individuals is very real, because asymptomatic patients can become symptomatic later and spread the virus. Scientists in the United States have discovered that transmission from asymptomatic individuals was estimated to account for 59% of all COVID-19 transmissions. This can be seen in the Penang General Hospital with an increasing number of elderly COVID-19 patients, infected by their younger family members some who were asymptomatic.
This “relaxation” of the previous ruling requiring full screening tests involving all asymptomatic close contacts, is the result of our healthcare system unable to cope with the surge in the number of Covid-19 patients. Clearly Cabinet Ministers should wake up and do their job to provide full support and resources, in terms of equipment and manpower, for our front-liners in their life and death battle against COVID-19.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had recently announced that RM800 million will be made available to front liners in the Health Ministry under the RM15 billion PERMAI aid package for the second Movement Control Order (MCO 2.0). Muhyiddin should announce how much the government had already spent on 3Ts and the additional sum required to restore full screening tests and 3Ts.