KUCHING: In light of the spread of Covid-19 to the state, the state government has been urged to contact China’s consulate here to seek expert advice and take immediate action.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan said instead of waiting for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to decide on the next course of action, the state government should get help/advise from the consulate for surely China has learned a lot from its own experience.
“We are not trying to politicise the matter. We are just giving our input so that the government can consider the measures that we are suggesting,” he said during a press conference at his office in Saradise here yesterday.
He said life-support machines like ventilators must be adequately stocked in the hundreds at least for those who are in critical condition and in dire need.
“We urge the state government to enlist the help of China and to urgently get ventilators ready for critical patients,” he said, adding that the state government should also continuously remind the people of the seriousness of disease.
“Remember, Covid-19 has no cure. Patients get symptomatic treatment only. And life-support systems are the only hope of survival for those stricken,” he said.
Voon said there was a need to look into legislations to empower the relevant authorities and health enforcement officers to search and bring all suspect suffers for treatment.
“It is also necessary to make it a crime for those who failed to take precautions in such outbreaks in future,” he said.
He argued that although the government had announced preventive measures through the mass media, they are not enough to raise public awareness of the danger of Covid-19.
“The MoH should distribute masks and sanitisers to the public, especially at food outlets, bus stations, supermarkets and so forth. This would help a lot, and it would raise awareness of the deadly disease,” he said.
Regarding frontline workers such as medical personnel, he pointed out that they always at risk, so the government must provide them with protective attire, like what the China government had done.
“Just providing gloves and masks to doctors and other medical personnel who treat Covid-19 cases is not enough,” he said. It would be a sad thing if we lose doctors and nurses in the process of treating people,” he said.
