KUCHING: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) has offered to assist the Sarawak Health Department to expedite the tests on the people suspected to have been infected by Covid-19, the novel coronavirus disease.
This was disclosed today by Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
As of yesterday, 17 suspected cases were awaiting the laboratory test results. Fifty-nine cases of Patient Under Investigation (PUI) have been proven negative out of the 76 statewide reported between Jan 10 and Feb 12.
Uggah, who is a deputy chief minister, said in a statement that the State Health Department has screened, as of yesterday, 5,350 travellers who have gone through the various airports and land and sea entry/exit points in the state.
He said Sarawak has taken all necessary preparations in terms of strategies, logistics, facilities, doctors, nurses and other health workers to combat Covid-19.
He also said that the health department will install additional thermal scanners at the Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri airports as well as at the Sungai Tujoh Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) border checkpoint near Miri.
“Plans are being made to send more Health Declaration Forms (HDF) for distribution at the checkpoints on the Brunei Darussalam side to ease the long queue at ICQS Sungai Tujoh,” he said.
Uggah said a medical preparedness and logistics briefing was also held yesterday by doctors and senior representatives from the State Health Department, Kuching General Hospital, Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) and the State Security and Enforcement Unit.
He said more doctors and personnel, including those from other units and disciplines, are being trained to handle any situation.
“Their training started in the middle of last month. We have enough manpower, and the focus is on developing excellent team spirit in them,” he said.
Uggah also said that the planned quarantine centre at the Public Health College in Kota Sentosa near here is also being prepared and can accommodate up to 90 patients at any one time. - Bernama
