THE three patients from Medan, Indonesia who were admitted to the Island Hospital in Penang last Friday are in isolation and will be monitored for the next 14 days, hospital management said.

In a statement released this morning, Island Hospital said the patients and their companions satisfied all entry requirements before being allowed into the state.

This included testing negative for Covid-19, three days before arriving in Penang.

The hospital said the management had obtained approvals from the Health Ministry and the Immigration Department as early as August 5 to bring in the three Indonesian patients.

“With coordinated efforts of Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAHB), Immigration Department and the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), the flight that brought in the three patients and two companions, was carefully and stringently managed upon arrival at the Penang International Airport.

“The patients and their companions will continue to be placed under strict isolation for 14 days with no visitors allowed.”

Island Hospital also said Penang is the third state, after Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, to receive overseas patients during the pandemic.

It said out of the 22 requests that were received from existing patients who had their treatments postponed due to travel restrictions, only five were approved by the hospital medical committee and the MHTC.

There was an outcry when news of the three Indonesian patients was highlighted on August 14 that led to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow allaying fears raised over the Covid-19 outbreak in Indonesia.

Chow said foreigners are required to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) in place to stem the transmission of the virus.

“It is all subject to the SOP. If they can comply with the SOP and receive clearance, I think it is allowed now,” he had said when asked to comment on the ongoing debate in social media on the matter.

Social media users, including the Citizens Awareness Chant Group, had questioned the timing of the patients’ arrival, more so with Indonesia still recording high number of positive Covid-19 cases daily coupled with low testing numbers.

Others also asked the Penang government, the Health Ministry and the National Security Council to state their stand on private hospitals accepting medical tourists from Indonesia, which was deemed a Covid-19 high-risk country. – August 19, 2020.