.jpg "Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii (centre) speaks during a press conference at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur August 13, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isann")
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — The Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Science and Innovation has recommended 10 proposals to strengthen the Covid-19 Management System at the endemic level.
Its chairman Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen said among the proposals was that the government increase the budget allocation for the health system to four per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while improving the Covid-19 pandemic management strategy based on science and data.
The Bandar Kuching MP said the allocation is to ensure a more comprehensive health system in the country to face the pandemic and brace itself for the endemic era.
“The committee also recommends that Covid-19 management should involve all parties including experts from the private sector, academia and NGOs.
“Based on the existing public health parameters, the committee concludes that at this time, the country is not ready for a full transition to Covid-19 endemic before (these) recommendations are effectively implemented,” he told a media conference at Parliament House today.
Dr Yii said the government also needed to improve the functions of the MySejahtera application through the integration of technology, especially for contact tracing.
“It is important that it is implemented especially to detect cases of Covid-19 transmission involving large-scale gatherings or big crowds,” he said.
In addition to this, the committee recommends that the government be transparent with its open sources of data for Covid-19 in each district or sub-district, besides strengthening communication strategies to foster trust in government policies on Covid-19, said Dr Yii. — Bernama
