Press Statement By Tony Chiew:
Chiew Chan Yew, Publicity Secretary DAP Bintulu is urging Bintulu MP, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing to fight for the increase of Covid-19 test kits as well as vaccines, medical resources and manpower to over come the pandemic.
“They are numerous different brands of sample analysis instruments in the market. If one instrument can analyse up to 600 samples daily, will the number of Rapid Test Cassette (RTC) presently available in Bintulu sufficient for nearly ten of such instruments?,” he said in a press statement.
Chiew pointed out that the people have the right to know about this, especially with high number of Covid-19 cases reported daily.
“Each data and information related to the pandemic which are provided daily by the authority must also be transparent and not merely an announcement.”
“The people needs to be informed accordingly on this important development, especially when the number of Covid-19 positive cases is high, so that they too can contribute towards the war against the pandemic.”
Chiew pointed out that in January this year, Datuk Seri Tiong said microbiologists at Sarawak General Hospital laboratory refused to perform large scale tests with reason that ‘test samples exceeded the laboratory load and insufficient funds’.
“So I want to ask Bintulu MP if there are currently adequate Rapid Test Cassettes to processed high number of samples, since Bintulu now have almost 10 analysis instruments?”
“If the RTC provided by the government is not even sufficient for nearly ten instruments that we have in Bintulu, then the government should reach out to private clinics and hospitals to open up their lab to the effort for free. This will not only expedite the process, but it can also reduced the cost,” Chiew said.
On a related note, Chiew said since the state government has been given the right to purchase its own additional vaccines, Dato Seri Tiong as the one and only Malaysia’s Special Ambassador to the Republic of China should take the initiative to get in touch with China.
“As the bridge between our country and China, he (Tiong) must dedicate his responsibility to the people and the nation, by carrying out his important duty as that ‘Special Ambassador’, especially when the nation is struggling with this crisis.”
“Bintulu MP must understand that Bintulu folks have been working hard to fight this pandemic with the authority in the last one and a half year, yet since April 14 they were faced with stricter SOPs.”
“Many businesses collapsed due to the bad economy but the operators cost of living continues on, some became even higher. Is the government ready to come up with another financial aid?”
“Apart from that, I have never mentioned that I am not happy we have to go home by 8pm. This is a random accusation on me. So please don’t try to frame me with false accusations, especially when your actual intention is to confuse the people,” he warned.
Chiew wants Datuk Seri Tiong to face the problem bravely and work on getting more RTC for Bintulu as well as help to settle the problems of medical staffs’ shortage in Sarawak. Sarawak has in fact listed 1,463 numbers of medical staff required comprises medical officers, assistant medical officers, microbiologists, nurses and drivers.
“According to what Datuk Seri Tiong said a few days ago, ‘working non-stop for 24-hours a day consumes you mentally and physically, especially for ambulance drivers who have to pick up patients at various locations’. This is enough to proof that there is indeed shortage of medical staffs in Bintulu.
“This Covid-19 pandemic did not happen in one day. If the government do not resolve this manpower shortage immediately, I would like to ask Datuk Seri Tiong, who is the one that’s actually neglecting the welfare of these hard-working medical staff?” he questioned further.
