PUTRAJAYA, June 9 — The Health Ministry (MOH) will hold joint discussions with the Education Ministry (MOE) today regarding the reopening dates for schools during the recovery movement control order (RMCO) period.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, however, said that schools would be opened for Form Five and Form Six students first.
“There will be a meeting with the MOE tomorrow (today), perhaps to discuss the suitable dates for reopening schools. If we decide on Tuesday (on the suitable reopening dates for schools), we will give parents two weeks to prepare for the reopening.
“We will start with Forms Five and Six before opening it to other students. This is our plan, but we will discuss it in more detail with the MOE tomorrow (today),” he said at his daily press conference yesterday.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said the MOH also planned to have longer service hours for health clinics by having two shifts to ease congestion and ensure social distancing among patients.
“We will also take other steps in social distancing, like implementing the appointment system, as we need to avoid congestion in the waiting room,” he said.
He said the MOH was also thinking of expanding the concept of virtual clinics among patients and to deliver health services to patients, such as Orang Asli communities and homes.
“We have already implemented health services to homes for children and pregnant women, now we are considering if the services can be extended to stroke patients and those who can’t come to hospitals,” he said.
Asked if husbands would be allowed to be with their wives in delivery rooms, he said it would depend on the policy of the respective hospitals.
Commenting on a Covid-19 positive case at the Women and Children Hospital in Likas, Sabah involving an eight-month-old girl, he said the case was detected before the girl was supposed to undergo surgery and that she showed symptoms.
“Every case detected positive, we will screen the family and exposure. The investigation (on the cause of the infection) is ongoing,” he said.
Another positive case recorded at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Depot, meanwhile, involved a relief immigration officer who showed no symptoms.
— Bernama
