POOR Covid-19 patients who are forced to be warded in private hospitals can receive financial assistance from the Health Ministry, says Khairy Jamaluddin.

       He said the ministry has a special relief fund for needy Covid-19 patients who have had to be treated at private hospitals due to the lack of beds in public hospitals.

       “I will look into this (providing financial assistance) on a case-by-case basis to assist them,” he said in his winding-up speech on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address yesterday.

       Khairy was responding to Datuk Seri Tan Yee Kiew (PH-Wangsa Maju), who asked if there will be financial assistance for Covid-19 patients who were forced to be warded in private hospitals as a result of the lack of beds.

       Tan drew an example, saying that a Covid-19 patient she knew of had racked up a massive bill of RM400,000 after being warded for an undisclosed period of time at an unnamed private hospital.

       Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) meanwhile proposed that the government use Section 26 in the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease Act, which provides for the temporary requisition of private healthcare facilities to assist the nation in curbing Covid-19.

       Responding to Sim, Khairy said the requisition of private medical facilities would only be used when the situation becomes desperate.

       He gave assurance that negotiations on increasing outsourcing capabilities between the Health Ministry and private hospitals were ongoing.

       “RM40mil was allocated to 14 states; 38 public hospitals and 72 private hospitals are involved in the outsourcing approach,” he said.

       Khairy said currently Covid-19 occupancy rates at private hospitals stood at 45%.

       “It may not be filled due to the issue of cost.

       “Many are worried about paying exorbitant fees,” he added.

       Khairy also said it has been more than a year since the Covid-19 pandemic begun and given the widespread transmission of the Delta variant, it was time for the country to stop using the term ‘herd immunity’.

       “I don’t use the ‘herd immunity’ term anymore. When the vaccination programme started, we used a conventional formula to calculate herd immunity.

       “But that was before the Delta variant was widespread. Delta has thrown out the herd immunity calculation and it is difficult to say when we can achieve herd immunity.

       “So we don’t look at ‘herd immunity’ anymore. We look at the broadest coverage of vaccination as possible,” he said.

       Khairy added that vaccinating youths was important as the aim now was to achieve the ‘broadest coverage’ of vaccination possible.

       “That is why the National Immunisation Programme for youths is important.

       “Because it isn’t sufficient if only 80% of adults receive vaccines while children remain unvaccinated,” he said.

       Charles Santiago (PH-Klang) interjected and asked how the government intends to monitor undocumented migrants who contract Covid-19.

       He was particularly concerned as employers were likely to flout the standard operating procedures on workers who tested positive for the virus.

       Khairy said the current practice of entrusting employers to isolate and monitor infected workers who display mild Covid-19 symptoms and do not require hospitalisation, was ineffective.