CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who has often praised the selfless work of frontliners during the ongoing movement control order (MCO), visited the Seberang Jaya Hospital today.
The visit was to see the hospital’s readiness in handling the Covid-19 cases as the MCO enters its 36th day.
He was welcomed by Seberang Jaya Hospital director Dr Saiful Azlan Sharif and state Health Department director Dr Asmayani Khalib.
Also present was state Agriculture, Agro-based Industries, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin.
Later, Chow was taken to a meeting room for a briefing.
During the briefing session, Dr Saiful said Seberang Jaya Hospital is at a high level of preparedness to handle the Covid-19 cases, especially in conducting screening tests involving patient under investigation (PUI) for Covid-19.
“As the lead hospital in Seberang Perai, we are working very closely with other three cluster hospitals, namely Bukit Mertajam Hospital, Kepala Batas Hospital and Sungai Bakap Hospital in carring out the Covid-19 testing.
“If a person is diagnosed as a Covid-19 positive, we will send the victim by using our ‘special’ ambulance to the Penang Hospital to be treated.
“Special ambulance means we will use that vehicle only to ferry Covid-19 patients and those ambulances will be decontaminated after transporting the patients,” he said.
Dr Saiful added that the hospital was constantly monitoring all its medical staff especially for those frontliners.
“So far, there is no Covid-19 case detected among our staff members,” he said.
Chow thanked the frontliners at the Seberang Jaya Hospital for their consistent work in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I would like to say thank you to the medical frontliners at this hospital for providing additional assistance to the Penang Hospital in conducting the Covid-19 screening tests in Seberang Perai and also for working tirelessly to combat this pandemic,” he said.
Chow and Dr Norlela were taken on a tour of the hospital screening centre for Covid-19.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud