KOTA KINABALU: A health worker at a hospital in Sabah’s interior claims some of the frontline staff are using their own money to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) as supplies are limited.
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The health worker, who declined to be named, said the PPEs they are buying for themselves include those bought online which did not have approval from the health ministry.
“We understand that priority is being given to red zones and we don’t want to blame the government, but we are also worried because we don’t know where this virus is lurking,” said the staff who deals with those seeking outpatient treatment.
“We don’t buy full PPE sets, just several items sold online like face masks, face shields, aprons and hand sanitisers.”
According to the health worker, the hospital does provide PPEs but only to those who are carrying out swab tests or sending suspected Covid-19 cases to main hospitals because of the limited supply.
FMT has reached out to the Sabah health department for comment.
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The health worker also said they have sewn face masks for poor patients, including children.
“We are thankful that there are patients who are kind enough to donate face shields and hand sanitisers to us.”
Previously, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) called for the government to provide “urgent and massive” assistance to Sabah to control the Covid-19 situation in the state.
On Friday, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) sent 13 tonnes of goods and equipment, including PPEs to Sabah and Sarawak.
Since March 22, RMAF has made nearly 20 flights carrying over 400 tonnes of goods and equipment to Sabah and Sarawak. – FMT