The PPE and PCR machine being unloaded from the RMAF cargo plane at the Bintulu airport.
BINTULU: The hospital here will be receiving a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine which can detect the novel corona virus and 40 other types of virus from Bintulu Parliamentary Service Centre.
The third batch of personal protective equipment (PPE) and machines for front liners bought with funds raised by the COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fund set up by the service centre reached here on a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft Friday morning.
Bintulu MP Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said in a statement yesterday the PCR machine should greatly lessen the delays of tests results here as samples had to be sent to Sibu or Kuching .
“With the RT-PCR test kit eliminating the backlog of people awaiting their test results, the hospital staff can trace sources of infections quickly and begin the containment process of affected family members and other contacts by the patients,” he said.
Tiong, who is the president of the Progressive Democratic Party, added that the medical and testing equipment here had to be improved to cope with the population growth and the Bintulu Parliamentary Service Centre service centre recently launched a special laboratory construction fund with a target of raising RM1.35 million.
“The gracious community in Bintulu responded enthusiastically by generously contributing to this fund. The fund will go towards purchasing laboratory equipment and establishing a laboratory for the people of Bintulu, which is expected to begin operations in 2 weeks. “
He thanked Minister of Defence Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Dato Francis Yong Piaw Soon, Group Managing Director for Harbour-Link Group for their effort and contribution in facilitating the transport of the equipment.
He said the equipment would not have reached here yesterday if not for the help of Ismail Sabri who arranged for the RMAF cargo plane to transport the goods when they could not secure a cargo plane and Yong for providing the logistics solutions.
“We must give credit to all involved in the delivery particularly the equipment suppliers who gave priority to us under immensely tight schedules and the support of the whole community towards the Relief Fund had made it possible to achieve the results today.
“By setting up this laboratory, collected virus test samples from the people are expected to yield accurate results within hours and speed up the process to provide effective treatment for patients.
“I must also acknowledge and thank Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah and Dato ‘ Dr Wong Aik Loung for their generous contributions by specially donating N95 masks and 30 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) to support the front liner medical staff.”
Tiong noted that Sarawak is now restarting its economy and he urged those returning to work to strictly abide by the standard operating procedures set by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee.
“We must all maintain a high degree of vigilance even when we go back to work so that we do not let our past efforts in containing the corona virus go to waste.”