PUTRAJAYA, Feb 11 — The procurement of face masks in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak has now been taken over by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.
He said the responsibility of procuring, formerly under his ministry and also the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNKK), is now under Nadma as there is a perceived seriousness for them to do so.
“I also had a meeting with several face mask manufacturers earlier on, in which they were informed of the government’s need to build a stockpile in case the public needs them,” Lim said after officiating the expansion of the MySalam public health scheme’s coverage at the ministry’s complex.
Lim estimated that up to 100,000 to 200,000 boxes of face masks are being stocked daily, which can be distributed should the need arises.
“However, the best person to speak about this would be Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also Nadma’s chairman,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, KPDNKK Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said local factories have been requested to manufacture up to 400,000 disposable three-ply face masks daily, with the government assuring they will purchase any excess for the stockpile.
Similarly, Lim said his ministry is ready to accommodate the Health Ministry should they need more to procure thermal body scanners.
“If there are any requests we will try to do so, and allow them to continue doing their job in monitoring and preventing coronavirus properly,” he said.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who was also present at the launch, said for the time being there is no need to expand MySalam’s coverage for coronavirus patients.
“Based on what we observed in our health facilities, it does not warrant such an inclusion for now, as all its patients are being taken care of,” he said.
The scheme’s coverage now includes nine other critical illness including polio and progressive scleroderma, making the total of covered illnesses 45 compared to 36 before.
