KUCHING: Normah Medical Specialist Centre (NMSC) has confirmed that one of its nursing staff was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Tuesday (July 14), referred to as Case 582 by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
In a statement on its website on Wednesday, the management of NMSC disclosed that the staff member had been stationed at the screening area of the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit, located outside of the hospital building.
“She wore full personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times as this is a high-risk screening area, in accordance with guidelines from the Ministry of Health. She was, and still is, without any symptoms.
“She was tested because she was in contact with a patient who was suspected of having Covid-19. This patient has since been tested negative by the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH),” it said.
Therefore, the centre believed that the staff member had contracted the infection outside of the hospital. It added that she has since been admitted into the isolation ward at SGH.
According to NMSC, the staff member’s contacts and colleagues in Normah consisting of 22 personnel in total had all been tested and placed under quarantine since Tuesday immediately after the results were known.
“All have been tested negative. Nevertheless, they will remain in quarantine and a second RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) will be done after 13 days, as per protocol by the Ministry of Health.
“The site where she was working has undergone a deep cleaning. Contact tracing outside the hospital is being conducted by the Health Department.”
NMSC assured all their patients and their loved ones that the hospital remained safe and Covid-19 free. It added that since the beginning of the pandemic, the hospital had instituted thorough screening measures on all staff, patients, and visitors.
“In fact, all patients undergoing procedures are screened with a rapid antigen test just before admission,” said NMSC.
