Disclaimer: This article was edited and published by World of Buzz with permission from the original source.
As Covid-19 cases increase every day, Malaysians don’t feel as safe as they used to. One would think that if you contracted Covid-19 somehow, the safest place for you is a government isolation centre but according to this patient, it might not be.
Ahmad (name altered for privacy purposes) reached out to World of Buzz to talk about an isolation centre he was quarantined in at Sungai Buloh when he tested positive for Covid-19. He revealed that the quarantine centre was poorly maintained despite housing Covid-19 patients.
“This so-called isolation centre is no better than prison. I can say, even a prison is better. At least in a prison, there’s a reason for you to be in a place like that but what’s our reason to be here?”
Ahmad shared that:
- The bedspread and uniform they’re given was dirty and had yellow stains.
- The garbage outside their room looks like it hasn’t been collected in a few days and gives off an unpleasant odour.
- The toilets at the centre haven’t been cleaned for a few days and according to him, the smell of faeces is quite prominent.
- Plus, four people are allocated to a single room with no means of physical distancing.
Moreover, despite being an isolation centre, there aren’t any sanitisers anywhere.
“The quarantine period is supposed to be 10 days. How is it healthy to mix newly infected people with older patients that are about to be discharged. Won’t this cause re-infection?”
“It was the worst ten days of my life!”
Speaking to World of Buzz, Ahmad said that it’s better for a Covid-19 patient to isolate themselves at home for their own safety and hygiene. He added that he would like the government to give patients the choice of their own homes or hotels or selected isolation centres for them to recuperate.
“The government should inspect the toilets first. Toilets should have sanitisers at least!”
He also feels that there should be lesser people in the rooms for physical distancing to actually be practised. Ahmad ended his complaints saying that he simply wants the government to take notice of this issue and improve these centres.
World of Buzz has since reached out to the Ministry of Health (MOH) for a statement and they have yet to respond.
It’s truly shocking to see the state of isolation centres especially at crucial times when the cases don’t seem to be reducing. Let us know what you think about this issue!
Also read: Covid-19 Positive Patients Asked To Home Quarantine Temporarily As The System Is Burdened
