MP proposes govt provide free, subsidised Covid-19 self-test kits to all citizens

KUCHING: Putrajaya has been asked to provide free or subsidised Covid-19 self-test kits to all Malaysians during the pandemic.

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, who made the suggestion, said bringing down the number of Covid-19 cases to below 4,000 seems to be an uphill task despite restrictions for over a month, and the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in Selangor recently.

“Not only did Malaysia report 8,868 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, the positive rate for the past four days were as high as 9.67 per cent, 9.38 per cent, 8.21 per cent, and 9.37 per cent,” she said in a statement yesterday.

She opined the current method of Covid-19 screening will need to be reexamined and a self-testing method must be introduced.

Teo said Malaysia is currently using RT-PCR, rapid antigen, and antibody kits for Covid-19 testing, adding that these tests can only be done by healthcare practitioners or laboratories.

She also pointed out that the cost of these tests was very high, ranging from RM70 to RM400.

“Many Malaysians are suffering economically due to the pandemic, not all can afford this type of test. The healthcare professionals, labs, and hospitals are making huge profits from Covid-19 tests alone,” the former deputy education minister claimed.

She said mass screening is needed to help identify positive cases and for action to be taken to reduce the virus from spreading.

According to her, many with or without symptoms may not get tested mainly due to the cost in the private sector and the high demand at public facilities.

Teo feared they could have infected many others before being identified as Covid-19 positive.

“A proven home self-test is now available using saliva and this could be a good option to introduce for home use at an affordable price. The government should control the price and allow Malaysians to do home tests.

“This way positive cases can do self-quarantine and be admitted to hospital if serious. The current MySejahtera app can be used for reporting. The spread of the virus can be significantly reduced,” she claimed.

Teo opined home test kit prices should be capped at RM15, while free kits could be provided to the B40 (bottom 40 per cent) group.

“EMCO is also not an answer as it will cripple the economy. The government should explore this option and make the test kit available as soon as possible,” she added.