KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The government will be channelling an additional RM600 million to the Ministry of Health (MOH) to aid their fight to contain Covid-19, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced today.

In a press conference which was broadcast live, he said that RM500 million would go to efforts to break the Covid-19 infection chain, which includes purchasing of additional ventilators, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medical workers, as well as lab paraphernalia, to conduct Covid-19 testing.

"To hasten the purchase of these critical items, the government utilised the emergency procurement procedures,” he said.

Another RM100 million would go towards the hiring of 2,000 contract staff, especially nurses.

"Many nurses and hospital workers are very exhausted currently as they are forced to work day and night to do Covid-19 tests, and treat those who have tested positive. "I hope that the intake of new staff can be done immediately, so that hospitals in our country have enough workers to contain the spread of Covid-19,” he said. In February, then interim prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had announced a RM20 billion economic stimulus package, which included special allowances for government medical workers. He announced that Putrajaya would give out special monthly allowances to those involved in combating the Covid-19 virus outbreak and halting its spread, with sums of RM200 and RM400, depending on their roles.