Home screening service now available
KUALA LUMPUR: Private hospitals and healthcare providers chosen by the Health Ministry to provide collection of samples for Covid-19 testing for the public from home are now open for appointment.
Pantai Premier Pathology Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Mohd Hareeff Muhammed said the public were required to fill in prescreening questionnaires to confirm that they are not patients under investigation (PUI) or close contacts to a PUI before making an appointment.
Individuals categorised as PUI or close contact to PUI, he said, would be treated in an isolation ward in selected public hospitals.
“Pantai Premier Pathology is one of the four private laboratories in Malaysia selected and endorsed by the ministry.
“Once an appointment has been confirmed, a team of doctors and nurses will be deployed to carry out the swab test on the individual at home.
“The results will be communicated to them within 24 to 72 hours,” he told the New Sunday Times.
The price will be quoted upon appointment. For example, DoctorOnCall quotes RM700 nett for the home-testing service.
Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur chief executive officer Hoo Ling Lee said individuals with travel history to affected countries like China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Denmark, Iran and Italy, are not eligible for the home screening service.
She said the same applied for those displaying symptoms associated with the infection, such as cough, fever and sore throat, as well as those considered close contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases and placed on home quarantine.
Hoo advised individuals to avoid heavy food two hours before the throat swabbing process.
She said sufficient space, not air-conditioned and with an open window, was recommended for the team to take throat swabs.
Hoo said the test results would be ready within two working days.
Apart from Pantai Premier Pathology and Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur, nine companies involved in providing Covid-19 home test sampling services are Bookdoc, DoctorOnCall, Lablink (KPJ), Qualitas Medical Group, Twin Tower Medical Centre KLCC, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Pantai Hospital Cheras, Pantai Hospital Klang and Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh in Melaka.