The Edition
facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon linkedin icon

Latest

Most positive patients kept in home isolation refused facility transfer: HPA

Mariyam Malsa
20 August 2020, MVT 13:38
Dr Ibrahim Afzal speaking at a media briefing. PHOTO: HEOC
Mariyam Malsa
20 August 2020, MVT 13:38

The Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Wednesday, asserted that the majority of COVID-19 patients, presently remaining in their respective home isolation quarters, had chosen to stay by requesting not to be transferred.

Speaking during a press briefing held by the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC), HPA's Epidemiologist Dr Ibrahim Afzal revealed that capacity limitations only accounted for delays in transferring 22 patients out of a total of 359 patients.

Afzal stated that 85 individuals had refused to be taken to state-run isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients while several patients also requested to wait until relatives received their test results. He added that the transfer of some 14 individuals were still pending due to HPA being unable to contact them.

Recently, several citizens have taken to social media with complaints of HPA negligence, including delays concerning transfers, sample collection for close contacts and confirmation of test results. People have also publicly raised concerns regarding the isolation of high risk patients in facilities that continue to receive newly infected individuals and lack of social distancing measures in facilities.

In response to a question on whether the state intended to introduce an official policy of home quarantine for COVID-19 patients, HEOC Spokesperson Dr Nazla Rafeeq said that similar protocols were implemented in other countries and disclosed that discussions concerning the matter were underway.

Dr Nazla also reiterated the government's call for the public to adhere to coronavirus safety guidelines, warning that uncontrolled spread could strain available bed capacity.

The number of COVID-19 cases skyrocketed after the state initiated efforts to steer the country towards a 'new normal' with the phased easing of lockdown restrictions across the Greater Male' Region.

As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Maldives' capital Malé continues to record a significant number of COVID-19 cases, similar to the first weeks following the first confirmed local transmission on April 15.

However, the number of recoveries have increased in the past few days, after the recent spike reduced the total amount of recovered patients from the peak 86 to the lowest 53 percent. This value currently stands at 60 percent.

Maldives currently records total 6,225 confirmed and 2,413 active COVID-19 cases, along with 3,788 recoveries and 24 deaths.

On March 12, WHO classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. To date, the new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 22.5 million people and claimed over 791,000 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 15.3 million people have recovered.

MORE ON NEWS