KUCHING, Apr 11: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii urges the government to review the procedures in place for those with long-term and chronic illnesses, now that the Movement Control Order has been extended a further two weeks.
Dr Yii in a statement today said other aspects of the decision that the government needs to consider is the impact towards the patients of other diseases besides Covid-19, including cancer and other Non Communicable Disease (NCDs), who have to delay their treatment or appointments due to the MCO.
Citing the Ministry of Health (MoH) guidelines on March 24, 2020 to postpone all elective surgeries in order to divert their resources, he explained that this would also result in increasing the backlog of surgeries caused by the MCO.
“So that is why I believe the government should look holistically on the effects of the MCO on healthcare itself as we do not want the morbidity or mortality rate of other diseases to go up in the background of the Covid-19 outbreak.
“That is why I hope with this MCO extension, the government will come up a more detailed supportive policies to really ensure that the different spheres of people most affected by this gets the needed support and help,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Yii also welcomed the extension of the MCO by the government to break the cycle of infection as the country has yet to reach the peak of infection as predicted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and JP Morgan.
Acknowledging that MoH had confirmed that the infection rate has been reduced in Malaysia by over three times in three weeks since the implementation of MCO, he said that a premature withdrawal or excessive relaxation of MCO restrictions would potentially undo all the good that has been achieved from staying home these past four weeks.
“So I welcome the move and on a health perspective as it is really needed as the war against Covid-19 is far from over, and many sacrifices have and will continue to be made this year,” he added. —DayakDaily.
