KUALA LUMPUR: While the war against the pandemic continues, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin assures Malaysians that non-Covid-19 patients will not be left out of the public healthcare system.

       He said the Health Ministry has never stopped or reduced services to non Covid-19 patients, especially emergency and partial emergency cases.

       Specialist clinics and surgeons are presently practising under extended operating hours to accommodate non-Covid-19 patients, he added.

       “The operating hours of specialist clinics and surgery theatres have been extended until after work hours, including Saturdays,” he told S. Kesavan (PH-Sungai Siput).

       Khairy also said non-specialist hospitals and the armed forces hospitals will be optimised under the “cluster hospital” concept, where some hospitals will be used for certain procedures and surgeries.

       For example, the Tuanku Mizan Hospital is used for emergency corneal paediatric ophthalmology surgery.

       Khairy said Health Ministry specialists and private healthcare providers will be mobilised to hospitals that do not have specific procedures, such as the vitreoretina emergency service at the southern zone.

       Private vascular surgeons in Johor are able to carry out vascular surgeries, specifically called ‘ruptured aortic aneurysm’,” he added.

       Khairy also said the government has been outsourcing certain medical treatments to private hospitals in order to reduce waiting time among patients.

       “Outsourcing is done in phases according to the needs and present abilities of the ministry based on the criteria of cases.

       “Up till July 31, the Health Ministry has cooperated with 76 private hospitals and it involves 3,947 procedures,” he added.