PUTRAJAYA, March 10 — A total of 186 private medical practitioners have been empowered under Section 10 (2) of the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infections Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 to handle Covid-19 positive cases effective tomorrow, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

He said they were all authorised to issue surveillance and monitoring orders at home or Covid-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centres as well as instructions to wear quarantine wristbands.

"These private medical practitioners are allowed to handle Covid-19 positive cases at their workplaces, whether at clinics or private hospitals,” he told a media conference after launching a book titled The Covid-19 Chronicles of Malaysia | Navigating the Storm here today.

On the breakdown of the private medical practitioners who are involved according to states, Dr Adham said Selangor had the highest total, with 66, followed by Kuala Lumpur (43), Johor (26), Penang (16) and Negri Sembilan (13).

As for the remainder, Melaka and Perlis have four each; Perak and Terengganu three each; Pahang, Kelantan and Sabah two each; while Kedah and Putrajaya have one each.

Dr Adham said that District Health Offices had been given the responsibility of preparing guidelines for these private medical practitioners.

He also said that the target of having 60 per cent of the 500,000 frontliners vaccinated was expected to be achieved by this week.

Thus far, he said, 195,923 individuals had been vaccinated.

A total of 4.68 million Malaysians have registered to receive the Covid-19 vaccine jab through the MySejahtera application. — Bernama