COVID-19: Protecting the Healthcare Workers

In an interview with the Code Blue Galencentre news portal, Prof Dr Nazirah Haznan, Prof Dr Victor Hoe and Associate Prof Dr Marzuki Isahak shared the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) experience in ensuring safety and health of the healthcare workers (HCW) during the COVID19 pandemic.

All HCW in UMMC has to follow the standard operating procedures that have been developed to ensure the safety and health of HCW, co-workers, and patient safety. All HCW in contact with suspected and positive COVID19 patients will be traced, risk assessed and investigated.

In only targeted testing based on risk level are conducted for COVID19, there is no mass testing. This is because UMMC is confident with the control measure already in place for clinical and non-clinical areas, and HCW will not be at risk of getting infections if the HCW has followed the recommended procedure.

“We want to ensure that HCW are confident in the control measure and can work without feeling afraid or scared.”

Prof Dr Victor Hoe

They also provided some guidance on how other company can apply the lessons learned in UMMC for their own operations. UMMC has also developed a guideline titled “Return to work after the Movement Control Order (MCO) for Covid-19 Infection – A Guide for Workplace” on how workplaces can prepare to reopen post-MCO.

“In the new norm, business cannot be as usual. Health of the workers should be considered an important asset for the company. The responsibility for maintaining health of the workers should be a shared responsibility between the employer, workers and health care providers.”

Prof Dr Victor Hoe

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