The government must allow the Health and Sciences Covid-19 Advisory Group of Experts (EAG) to take over the Health Ministry’s Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre in the fight against the virus, said Dr Musa Nordin.
The specialist doctor said that, as a way to move forward to fight the pandemic, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin must allow the EAG to take over from CPRC and be supported by a group of independent experts.
“My SOS suggestions to YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Your Expert Advisory Group (EAG) should now take over the ‘Situation Room’ aka ‘CPRC’,” the consultant paediatrician at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital said in a tweet.
He said the EAG could be further supported by the “crème de la crème” of public health experts the nation has.
He proposed names such as Prof Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman from the International Medical University, Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association president Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar, Prof Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud of University Malaya and Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, also of University Malaya, Kolonel Dr. Mohd. Arshil Moideen of the Hospital Tuanku Mizan Military Hospital and others.
Musa also told Muhyiddin to keep his ministers in check to prevent further confusion.
“And mute your ministers! OR we are doomed as a nation trapped in a vicious cycle of MCOs destroying the lives and livelihoods of our rakyat and beloved nation! #DemiNegara #SaveMalaysia,” he said in a subsequent tweet.
Meanwhile, former deputy health director-general Dr Christopher Lee asked the government to explain how it would handle rises in Covid-19 cases after the end of MCO 3.0.
“Yes, it’s deja vu. A strict MCO will bring cases down, that’s a given. Question should be, how will we prepare for a post-MCO rise in cases/clusters which must be expected.
“How are we going to beef up FTTIS (find, test, trace, isolate and support) to be able to prevent & close clusters rapidly? If not, there’ll be cyclical MCOs,” he said.
Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday announced that the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) will be imposed in six localities after all areas recorded significant improvements in Covid-19 infections.
However, an hour later Muhyiddin announced a nationwide MCO will be imposed from Wednesday, as cases have trended above 3,000 and 4,000 for a few weeks.
This comes after Muhyiddin had promised on March 17 that no additional blanket lockdowns would be imposed.
In the statement, the Perikatan Nasional chief said the government was forced to take drastic steps to stop the rise in new Covid-19 infections. – TMI