Issues at quarantine centres rectified – director
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said the relevant departments and agencies have rectified the issues raised by the public who were quarantined at the Fire and Rescue Academy, Ministry of Health Training Institute, Bukit Padang and Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic.
She said the Health department took cognizance of the issues at the three quarantine centres.
“The matter has been rectified by the relevant departments and agencies,” she said in a press statement issued at 11pm on Saturday.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secretary general Senator Datuk Yong Wui Chung said conditions at the Fire and Rescue Academy hostel in Sepanggar which has been designated as one of the quarantine centres was terrible.
“Apart from the dirty environment, there is no door and water supply at the toilets.
“The ceilings and bedroom floors are riddled with holes, not to mention the foul smell in the bedrooms,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said varsity students who returned from the United Kingdom were required to carry out mandatory self-isolation at the hostel.
“What shocked me the most was that the authority has rejected parents’ request to book accommodation for their children to self-isolate using their own money.”
Yong said the parents were informed by health officials that their children could undertake self-quarantine, but these students later were forcibly taken to the quarantine centre at the Fire and Rescue Academy hostel.
He pointed out that the parents whose children returned from Covid19 affected countries have obeyed the government’s directive and had willingly forked out their own money to pay for accommodation for self-quarantine.
“These children are not confirmed positive Covid-19 patients.”
He said parents would not have objected to placing their children at the quarantine centre if its condition was clean and hygienic.
“It is an irony that the government is forcing these students to live in an appalling environment when they keep emphasizing the importance of cleanliness and personal hygiene.”
Yong believed that not all quarantine centres in Sabah were in terrible state.
“The complaints I receive refers to the quarantine centre in Sepanggar.”
It was learned that the authorities upon negotiating with the parents have allowed students returning from overseas to self-isolate in a designated hotel, provided they passed the health screenings. The hotel charges are borne by the parents.
“We understand that the government is working hard at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“But forcing children to live in such worrying condition might lead to more health problems.”
Yong stressed that the parents were not demanding for the government to provide five-star facilities at quarantine centres, but the premises should at least be clean and tidy.
“The parents understand the government’s intension and are doing their best to cooperate.”
On another note, Dr Rundi said Monaco Boutique Hotel in Sadong Jaya had been designated as the new quarantine centre in the state capital.
There are currently 20 quarantine centres throughout Sabah.
She added that a total of 658 people had been placed in the quarantine centres while 18 were allowed to go home as of Saturday.
Meanwhile, she said 5,644 individuals were under home quarantine as of March 28.
Some 5,250 close contacts of positive novel coronavirus (Covid19) patients are being monitored by the State Health Department, whereas 394 have completed their self-isolation.
Families of those placed in the quarantine centre in Sepanggar have complained about the appalling living environment.
Dr Rundi also said the Inspectorate and Legislative unit of the Sabah Health Department had carried out integrated operation on the Movement Control Order (MCO) with the police, local authorities and People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) throughout Sabah.
“A total of 900 premises have been inspected, of which 20 premises in Sandakan have been ordered to close under Section 18(1)(f) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
“The premises include eateries (8), workshops (3), sundry shops (6), departmental store (3) and water dispenser machines (6).”
She also said action had been against two patients under investigation (PUI) or had close contact with positive Covid-19 patients under Section 15(1) and Section 22 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
The health authority also urged patients who require follow-up medicine supply to utilize the Ubat Melalui Pos (UMP) service whereby their medication will be delivered directly to selected locations of the patients for a fee. The postage charge will be borne by the patients.
Patients are required to make sure their delivery address is within the collection and pick-up area of PosLaju.
Medication that could be mailed via post include those in tablet or capsule dosage forms, nonpsychotropic drugs, and medicine that do not require special storage such as refrigeration.
To order medication via UMP, patients are required to take front and back photos of their prescriptions and send the photos, along with their names, MyKad number, contact number and address to the phone number of hospitals or health clinics.
The medicines are expected to be delivered within a week upon confirmation of order by the pharmacy unit.