We don’t recommend Ivermectin to treat Covid-19, says health DG. Read here (Free Malaysia Today, Nov 3, 2021)
Ivermectin study: Doctor whose clinic was raided stands his ground, disputes findings Read here (Free Malaysia Today, Nov 3, 2021)
I’ll study findings, says MP who urged use of Ivermectin for Covid treatment Read here (Free Malaysia Today, Nov 3, 2021)
‘HIDE clearly highlights the amount of confusion that the government’s handling of Covid-19 has raised. There is no coordination, consideration, nor thought given to measures taken, with each leader working in his own silo. Examples of previous gaffes include a botched and questionable roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccine; conflicting statements over police requirements for interstate travel; the U-turn on exercise requirements during the movement control order; a number of different dates for closure of Ramadan bazaars; etc.
‘The government badly needs to get its act together over the control of Covid-19. It is not an easy task – but it is made much tougher by a lack of coordination and ministers shooting from the hip before moves have been properly considered. There is a crying need for professionals to take over and for politicians to be side-lined – a clear mandate needs to be given to a committee of professionals from various relevant ministries to run the operation to fight Covid-19 and make the needed announcements.
‘Probably the best person to lead this effort is Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who has a very good grasp of the problem and who will be able – with the help of other top civil servants and experts from the private sector – to deal with this.’
Read here (The Vibes, May 10, 2021)
‘The Health Ministry has reminded educational facilities nationwide to take precautions to prevent Covid-19 infection, after three of the eight new clusters reported today involved learning institutions. Its director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 41 such clusters have been reported to date since the beginning of the year, infecting 2,228 people so far.
‘Most of the cases (1,058 cases; 47.5 percent) involved tertiary educational institutions, although they comprised only 15 of the 41 clusters. This was followed by 631 cases (28.3 percent) involving 13 secondary school clusters, and 419 cases (18.8 percent) involving 10 primary school and preschool clusters. Other educational institutions account for three clusters, totalling 120 cases (5.4 percent).’
Read here (Malaysiakini, Mar 25, 2021)
‘One of the key measures of a country’s Covid-19 response is how much testing is done. The more cases in the community, the greater the need to expand testing to keep pace with the outbreak. But just how much testing is enough?
‘At a press conference on Tuesday, Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the benchmark set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is to have at least ten negative tests for every person found to be positive. In other words, the test positivity rate should be no higher than about 10 percent. Any higher, it suggests many cases are being missed.
‘However, several sources including health experts quoted in previous Malaysiakini reports had instead cited a five percent figure as the benchmark to meet. One source, the website "Our World in Data", even cited WHO for setting it as the benchmark. So, who is right? And how did different sources attribute different numbers to WHO?’
Read here (Malaysiakini, Feb 17, 2021)
‘On Jan 22, it was announced that the Ministry of Health (MOH) would be conducting clinical trials for two medicines, Ivermectin and Favipiravi, to determine their efficacy in treating Covid-19. Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has acknowledged that Ivermectin "is cheap, easily available and safe for use." But in Malaysia, it is only licensed for use in animals...
‘In view of the worsening case on Covid-19 infections in our country, many unanswered questions and lack of data on the long term safety aspects of the Pfizer experimental mRNA vaccine (which our country has already been ordered) and the current production problems faced by vaccine manufacturers overseas (with the possibility of delays), the government here should have a "PLAN B".
‘It should quickly approve Ivermectin to provide a safe, cheap and effective "weapon" against Covid-19. The clinical trials by MOH on the efficacy of Ivermectin can continue but we should not need to wait (and let many more people suffer and die from Covid-19 in the meantime) since Ivermectin has ALREADY been PROVEN to be VERY SAFE over the last 30 years or so.
‘What have we got to lose by approving Ivermectin today in Malaysia as an option for doctors to prescribe against Covid-19?’
Read here (New Straits Times, Feb 7, 2021)
‘Some claim the director-general of health, who wasn’t fazed by whatever was thrown at him in the early days of the crisis, is in a political straitjacket. Could it be that his views have narrowed the political and economic choices of those in power to relatively tight parameters?
‘If that is true, it needs fixing. In the meantime, the people expect professionalism and strong leadership at a time when Covid-19 infections and deaths are rising. That means Noor Hisham has to be firm and shoot straight to give Malaysians the confidence that the war is being fought with confidence.’
Read here (Free Malaysia Today, Jan 31, 2021)
‘An open letter by a group of 46 doctors has elicited a personal response from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. The 46 doctors had, in an open letter on Jan 7, expressed worry at the "very bleak" state of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
‘Muhyiddin, in his response tonight, noted that several of their proposals have been implemented or are in the process of being rolled out. The prime minister said he will continue to put aside politics and focus on mobilising an all-of-society fight against Covid-19.’
Read here (Malaysiakini, Jan 17, 2021)
‘Our top Covid-19 fighter needs to be given leeway to do this. After all, before the ill-fated Sabah election, he was doing a great job of containing the virus, earning not only the gratitude and adulation of the whole country, but also gaining international recognition for successfully keeping the disease at bay in Malaysia. We were justifiably proud of him then, but the politicians have spoiled it, as they have done with so many things over so many years.
‘It is rather peculiar that the PM’s special adviser on public health, Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, takes a directly opposite stance to Dr Noor Hisham’s on the preparedness of the health service.
‘When asked what the government should be doing, she told BFM radio yesterday: “My advice is that we have to have a very clear game plan. Right? That means I don’t agree that the health system is at a breaking point – it is easy to throw these words around. If you look at the situation in the UK, Italy, the US and all that, people, the health professionals, the health system, will find ways to cope.”
‘Surely Dr Noor Hisham, as health director-general, knows much more about the preparedness of the service that he oversees than Dr Jemilah, even if she is special adviser to the PM. And does Dr Jemilah want us to go the way of the UK, Italy and the US? Surely not.’
Read here (The Vibes, Jan 9, 2021)
Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah responds to the open letter of Dr Tachdjian to the prime minister "Covid-19: Wake up, enough talk, take action". ‘Even though it is not directed to me, but as the director-general of Health, I have to understand what this "Health Ministry (MOH) staffer" is trying to relay, regardless of the person's rank, grade, or profession. It occurred to me when it was said that the doctor was an "MOH specialist" it would surely attract everyone's attention to read it...’
Read here (Malaysiakini, Oct 12, 2020)