Press Statement
28th July

The Government has failed to take good care of the frontliners in the COVID-19 pandemic, even the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the government is insufficient to the extent that the hospitals have to seek donation of PPE from the NGOs and general public.

I have today raised the following question in Parliament:

“To ask the Minister of Health to state the Ministry’s plan to address the issue of increasing COVID-19 cases in Kuching especially the Sentosa cluster that involves the frontliners at a government hospital. State the additional measures to be taken by the Ministry to protect and safeguard the welfare of healthcare workers, patients, and the general public in the surrounding area. State as well the additional measures to be taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Kuching and to help the traders affected by the pandemic.”

The Minister has totally failed to answer the part of the question on the measures to help traders. As for the measures for the containment of the spread of COVID-19, despite all the beautiful answers given by the Minister, the fact remains that Kuching is now the worst affected zone in the country and many of the front-liners were infected and quarantined.

As if that is not bad enough, the facilities at the quarantine centres for the front-liners are grossly insufficient.

I read out a quote from one of the quarantined front-liners to bring forth their feelings and cries in the House.

I call upon the Minister of Health not merely to pay lip service to thank these frontliners for braving their lives to save lives, but to provide better supply of PPE to them and to provide them with better quarantine facilities.

Chong Chieng Jen
DAP Sarawak Chairman
MP for Stampin