KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — All seven cleaners who are working at Teluk Intan Hospital — where over 30 medical personnel have tested positive for Covid-19 — have either gone for or are waiting to undergo Covid-19 tests, their employer Edgenta UEMS Sdn Bhd said today via its parent company.
In a statement issued by the employer’s parent firm UEM Edgenta Berhad, it said the authorities are currently monitoring the status of these seven employees, and that no employee has tested positive for Covid-19.
“UEM Edgenta Berhad’s wholly owned subsidiary operating under the Company’s Healthcare Support Division, Edgenta UEMS Sdn Bhd would like to confirm that seven of its Hospital Support Services employees stationed at Teluk Intan Hospital in Perak have either completed or awaiting to undergo testing after coming in close contact with the hospital’s staffs who are confirmed to have coronavirus,” it said in the statement.
The statement came in response to a query by Malay Mail regarding a worker union’s allegations of eight cleaners at Teluk Intan Hospital purportedly being blocked from undergoing Covid-19 screening.
UEM Edgenta also said it is complying with hospital procedures.
“The company is adhering to the application of infection control procedures and protocols set by each hospital’s Operations Team, as well as the Infection Control personnel in charge in determining isolation and testing requirements of its employees at the hospitals which Edgenta UEMS continues to serve throughout this pandemic,” it said.
“All seven employees are currently being monitored by the authorities according to protocols. Their test results are pending,” it said, of the seven.
“Currently none of the Company’s employees have been confirmed with Covid-19,” it added.
“Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, UEM Edgenta has progressively implemented strict procedures to safeguard the health and safety of its employees delivering hospital support services to the Ministry of Health Malaysia, including the use of prescribed personal protective equipment,” it said, adding that any further updates on this matter will be communicated through its website www.uemedgenta.com.
UEM Edgenta, which is a public listed firm, provides various services to different industries, including hospital support services, integrated facility management, as well as maintenance of highways and roads.
Earlier today, Kesatuan Pekerja Swasta Hospital Kerajaan claimed that Edgenta UEMS had allegedly blocked eight employees who are cleaners at Teluk Intan Hospital from going for a Covid-19 screening.
It also claimed that seven of these cleaners are working at the same department in the hospital that had recorded Covid-19 positive cases among its healthcare personnel.
The union had stressed that hospital cleaners are also Covid-19 frontliners and should be treated equally like other frontliners.
MOH says all Teluk Intan Hospital support personnel to get tested
This evening, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the Health Ministry noted that 39 healthcare personnel at Teluk Intan Hospital in Perak had tested positive for Covid-19, and indicated that those providing hospital support services there will also have to get tested.
“Taking into account the current situation, the Health Ministry has decided that all healthcare personnel and support personnel at Teluk Intan Hospital undergo tests at that hospital for Covid-19 detection,” he said.
Separately, Dr Noor Hisham in a Facebook post earlier today said that a total of 80 healthcare personnel under the Health Ministry had, as of this morning, tested positive for Covid-19.
In a chart attached together with his announcement, most of the 30 Health Ministry facilities including clinics and hospitals only recorded one positive case of Covid-19 among their healthcare personnel, while Hospital Teluk Intan was the highest with 39 Covid-19 positive cases recorded.
Dr Noor Hisham said that the Health Ministry had found that the source of Covid-19 infection for all 80 of these healthcare personnel was not from the handling of Covid-19 patients at the ministry’s facilities.
“However, all healthcare personnel and frontliners are advised to practise precautionary measures as have been recommended, including in ensuring their hands are always clean, practising social distancing and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) according to requirements,” he said.
Yesterday, Dr Noor Hisham said most of the healthcare personnel contracted Covid-19 from attending wedding events that were attended by those who went for a mass tabligh gathering at a Kuala Lumpur mosque, while other sources include overseas travel or coming into contact with family members of Covid-19 cases.
