Lim Kit Siang

Khairy should give a proper answer as to why there are high Covid-19 death rates and high BID deaths and not play tai chee

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

The new Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, should give a proper answer as to why there are high Covid-19 death rates and high Brought-in-Dead (BID) deaths in Malaysia and not play tai chee.

In Kota Kinabalu yesterday, Khairy said the high number of Covid-19 deaths reported daily does not reflect the actual number of fresh deaths that occur within 24 hours.

He explained that the numbers are sometimes piled up over several days as the authorities need time to confirm the cause of death, especially in places like the Klang Valley which also have a high Covid-19 vaccination rate.

He said: “The daily death reports are not necessarily from the last 24 hours. There is a long backlog because we have to confirm the cause of death is from Covid-19 and not something else”.

Khairy said most of the backlog was a result of the high number of people brought in dead (BID) to hospitals, as their causes of death had to be investigated before they can be reported as a Covid statistic.

“Hopefully we will see a reduction in two to three weeks once we clear the backlog on deaths registered.

Khairy said most of the BID cases were Covid-19 patients who were quarantined at home and were not taken to the hospital in time as soon as their condition deteriorated.

He said many Covid-19 patients were also told to self-isolate at home and monitor themselves, and instructed to seek medical attention only when their conditions worsen.

“Without the right supervision, it is too late for them by the time they get sent to the hospital.@

I asked a medical practitioner what he thought of Khariy’s reply. This is his response:

“In summary, the causes of BID is likely to be poor communication between care giver and patient and inadequate treatment for these people being left alone in isolation to die.

“You tell a patient, lets us say 65 years old, quarantine him in a room with his handphone and panadol.

“What do you think runs through his mind? He knows that Covid can kill. So he ask, why is there no treatment to help me get well. Even if you do not wish Ivermectin, at least that patient deserves a small medical kit containing vitamin D, C, Zinc and an antibiotic.

“These are all drugs shown to help immunity and the last to combat coincidental infections. That medical kit serves as an assurance that he has a chance to get well. By all means monitor but give him something to give him hope. Hope keeps people alive.

“Healthy people below age 60 with category 1 and 2 has a 90% chance of survival if there are no comorbidities. The important comorbidities are obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancers. These people even in category 1 and 2 should be admitted as they have increased risk of dying.

“Backlog : Once a person is BID, and they do a RTK-Ag test and if it is positive, that person is certified as a Covid death. That should not take more than 2 hours for test result. Is KJ saying that all BIDs are coroner’s case requiring Post-mortem?

Post-mortem may have a backlog. RTK-Ag test takes 2 hours. Back log is minimal. I do not believe that they are doing Post-mortems for all BIDs.

“If there is really a backlog, is it just the previous fellow’s inefficiency? Is he saying that the previous Minister did not do his job and KJ is tidying up? BUT the DG is the same. Please ask DG why the backlog?

“If there is a backlog, what is the estimate of the number? How many corpses are piling up? Does that mean that our Covid death is now nearer 30,000 instead of 18,000?

“Our crude death rate overall is 0.98% so far. We will soon cross to 1%. Surely counting how many people were BID with positive RTK-PCR cannot be very difficult?

“The global crude death rate is presently 2.06% while the projected Covid death rate by the Stanford experts is near 0.15% for Covid deaths. Is Malaysia creating a record again?

“KJ’s comments has raised more questions? “

May be, Khairy can answer some of this medical practitioner’s queries.

Since Khairy was sworn in as Health Minister on 30th August, there had been 680 BID deaths. Is Khairy saying that this is a gross understatement and the actual situation is much higher – close to 1,000 BID?

We await clarification from Khairy on the matter.

The Covid-19 data yesterday was the best since Khairy took over as Health Minister giving hope that the upsurge of Covid-19 cases and deaths could be checked, although the evidence is not conclusive.

The number of daily new Covid-19 cases have fallen to 17,352 cases, although Malaysia had recorded daily new cases above 20,000 cases for 20 days since August 5, and yesterday’s figure was the lowest since August 10. We need more evidence that the upsurge of Covid-19 cases have ended as this is only the second day since August 10 that the daily new Covid-19 cases have been in the 17,000-range.

But what Khairy should note is that Indonesia has continued on a decline in daily new Covid-19 cases, recording 4,416 new cases yesterday – which is a quarter of Malaysia’s Covid-19 infections.

In the present wave, Indonesia reached a peak of daily 56,757 new cases on July 15, and had since receded to 4,416 cases, a level which it registered three-and-a-half months ago. Malaysia, on the other hand, had faced one the world’s longest Covid-19 waves for a whole year since the Sabah state general election last September.

May be Malaysia should send representatives to Indonesia to learn from them.

Although Malaysia’s Covid-189 death figures yesterday was less than that of India – Malaysia’s 272 deaths to India’s 290 deaths – it is still of matter of great concern considering the respective population of the two countries.

These are among the Covid-19 pandemic questions awaiting clarification and action from the new Health Minister.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, Sept.7, 2021)

 


Khairy perlu betul-betul memberikan jawapan mengenai mengapa kadar kematian dan kematian di luar hospital masih tinggi dan bukannya mengelak

Menteri Kesihatan baharu, Khairy Jamaluddin, perlu betul-betul memberikan jawapan mengenai mengapa kadar kematian dan kematian di luar hospital masih tinggi dan bukannya mengelak.

Di Kota Kinabalu semalam, Khairy mengatakan yang angka kematian Covid-19 yang tinggi tidaklah menunjukkan angka kematian yang sebenar dalam tempoh 24 jam seperti yang dilaporkan.

Beliau menjelaskan yang angka ini kadang-kalanya berkumpul untuk beberapa hari memandangkan pihak berkuasa memerlukan masa untuk mengesahkan punca kematian, terutamanya di tempat seperti Lembah Klang yang mencatatkan kadar vaksinasi yang tinggi.

Beliau berkata: “Jumlah kematian yang kita laporkan setiap hari itu bukanlah jumlah kematian dalam tempoh 24 jam yang lepas. Terdapat banyak ‘backlog’ kes kematian… sebab kita perlu dapatkan pengesahan sama ada si mati betul-betul mati akibat Covid-19 atau tidak.”

Khairy mengatakan yang kebanyakan ‘backlog’ ini adalah kerana jumlah kematian yang dibawa ke hospital (BID) yang perlu disiasat punca kematiannya sebelum mereka boleh dilaporkan dalam sebahagian daripada statistik Covid-19.

“Harapnya, kita akan dapat lihat penurunan kadar kematian dalam tempoh dua atau tiga minggu lagi apabila kita selesai mengemas kini data ‘backlog’ kematian.”

Khairy mengatakan, kebanyakan kes-kes BID ini terdiri daripada pesakit Covid-19 yang dikuarantin di rumah dan tidak dibawa ke hospital secepat mungkin apabila keadaan mereka semakin merosot.

Beliau mengatakan, kebanyakan pesakit Covid-19 diberitahu untuk mengasingkan diri mereka dan memerhati keadaan mereka di rumah dan hanya mendapatkan rawatan apabila keadaan mereka bertambah buruk.

“Tanpa penyeliaan yang betul, sudah terlalu lambat apabila mereka dihantar ke hospital.”

Saya bertanya kepada seorang pengamal perubatan, apa pandangan beliau mengenai respons Khairy, berikut adalah jawapan beliau:

“Ringkasnya, punca-punca kes BID ini besar kemungkinan disebabkan oleh komunikasi yang tidak baik di antara penjaga dan pesakit, dan rawatan yang tidak mencukupi kepada mereka yang menjalani isolasi bersendirian.

“Pesakit, mungkin seorang yang berusia 65 tahun, diberitahu untuk kuarantin dalam bilik dengan telefon bimbit dan panadol.

“Apa yang akan berlegaran dalam fikirannya? Dia tahu yang Covid ini boleh membunuh. Jadi dia akan bertanya, mengapa tidak ada rawatan untuknya? Walaupun kita tidak mahu memberi Ivermectin, sekurang-kurangnya pesakit tersebut patut diberikan satu kit rawatan yang mempunyai vitamin D, C dan antibiotik.

“Semua ini adalah ubat yang telah menunjukkan boleh membantu membina imuniti dan melawan jangkitan sampingan. Kit rawatan itu boleh membantu menjadi jaminan yang pesakit itu ada harapan untuk sembuh. Kita perhatikan status pesakit, tetapi pada masa yang sama kita perlu berikan mereka harapan, harapan meneruskan kehidupan.

“Mereka yang sihat, di bawah umur 60 dengan jangkitan kategori 1 dan 2 mempunyai 90% kemungkinan untuk pulih sekiranya mereka tidak mempunyai komorbiti yang lain. Komorbiditi yang penting adalah obesiti, darah tinggi, diabetes, strok, dan kanser. Individu yang mempunyai komorbiditi ini, walaupun dalam kategori 1 dan 2, perlu dimasukkan ke hospital kerana mereka mempunyai risiko kematian yang lebih tinggi.

“Backlog: Apabila si mati dibawa ke hospital, mereka lakukan ujian RTK-Ag dan sekiranya ujian ini didapati positif, si mati akan dikira sebagai mati akibat Covid-19. Perkara ini tidak sepatutnya mengambil masa lebih daripada 2 jam untuk mendapatkan hasil ujian. Adakah KJ cuba mengatakan yang setiap si mati yang dibawa ke hospital akan dibedah siasat? Bedah siasat mungkin mempunyai backlog, tetapi ujian RTK-Ag hanya akan memakan masa selama 2 jam. Tidak sepatutnya ada banyak backlog dan saya tidak percaya yang mereka buat bedah siasat untuk setiap kes BID.

“Sekiranya ada banyak backlog, adakah ianya disebabkan kegagalan menteri sebelumnya? Adakah KJ sedang cuba mengatakan yang menteri sebelum beliau tidak menjalankan kerja dengan baik dan KJ hanya sedang mengemas kini benda yang ditinggalkan? Tetapi KP Kesihatan masih orang yang sama. Tolong tanya KP mengapa ada backlog?

“Sekiranya terdapat backlog, berapa anggaran jumlahnya? Berapa banyak kematian yang terkumpul? Adakah perkara ini bermaksud kematian Covid kita sekarang hampir 30,000 dan bukannya 18,000?

“Kadar kematian kasar kita secara keseluruhan adalah 0.98% setakat ini. Tidak lama lagi kita akan mencapai 1%. Takkanlah susah sangat nak semak berapa ramai yang BID menggunakan ujian RTK-PCR?

“Kadar kematian kasar global pada masa ini adalah 2.06% sementara kadar kematian akibat Covid yang dianggarkan oleh pakar dari Stanford adalah kira-kira 0.15%. Adakah Malaysia akan mencipta rekod lagi?

“Komen KJ telah menimbulkan lebih banyak persoalan.”

Mungkin Khairy boleh menjawap sesetengah persoalan yang dibangkitkan oleh pengamal perubatan ini.

Sejak Khairy mengangkat sumpah sebagai Menteri Kesihatan pada 30 Ogos, terdapat 680 kes BID yang dicatatkan. Adakah Khairy mengatakan yang angka ini dikurang kira dan situasi sebenar adalah jauh lebih teruk — menghampiri 1,000 kes BID?

Kita tunggukan penjelasan daripada Khairy mengenai perkara ini.

Data Covid-19 semalam adalah yang terbaik sejak daripada hari Khairy mengangkat sumpah sebagai Menteri Kesihatan, memberikan harapan yang peningkatan kes dan kematian akibat Covid-19 ini akhirnya dapat dikawal, walaupun perkara ini masih belum kukuh.

Jumlah kes harian semalam telah turun kepada 17,352 kes, walaupun negara kita mencatatkan lebih daripada 20,000 kes untuk 20 hari yang lepas sejak 5 Ogos, dan angka semalam adalah angka yang paling rendah sejak 10 Ogos. Kita perlukan lebih banyak bukti untuk mengatakan yang peningkatan kes Covid-19 sudah berakhir memandangkan semalam hanyalah hari kedua kes harian berada dalam julat 17,000 kes sejak 10 Ogos.

Tetapi apa yang Khairy perlu ingat adalah Indonesia telah berterusan berada dalam trend penurunan kes harian Covid-19, mencatatkan 4,416 kes semalam — satu per empat daripada angka kes di Malaysia.

Dalam gelombang penularan semasa, Indonesia telah mencapai kemuncak 56,757 kes baharu pada 15 Julai, dan kini telah turun kepada 4,416 kes, tahap yang sama yang disaksikan tiga bulan setengah yang lepas. Malaysia pula sedang berhadapan dengan gelombang penularan terpanjang di dunia sejak daripada Pilihan Raya Negeri Sabah pada bulan September tahun lepas.

Mungkin Malaysia perlu hantar perwakilan ke Indonesia dan belajar daripada mereka.

Walaupun kadar kematian Covid-19 semalam lebih rendah daripada India — 272 kematian di Malaysia berbanding dengan 290 di India — perkara ini masih membimbangkan memandangkan perbezaan jumlah penduduk di antara dua negara ini.

Inilah persoalan-persoalan mengenai wabak Covid-19 yang menunggu penjelasan daripada Menteri Kesihatan baharu kita.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Selasa, 7 September 2021)

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