Dr Sim: Can’t change cluster name once it has been gazetted by MoH

Dr Sim said he was upset that MoH did not consult SDMC before gazetting the cluster name.

KUCHING (April 24): Once a Covid-19 infection cluster has been named and gazetted by the Ministry of Health (MoH) it cannot be undone because it will cause confusion, said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.

He said even though he did not agree with the naming of a recent cluster in Kuching, the Icom Cluster, he could not propose a name change to SWAG Cluster which is more workplace-specific.

“Once gazetted, the cluster cannot be renamed or regazetted as it will be very confusing.

“That is why I was angry that they did not consult us before gazetting the name (for Icom Cluster). They are so worried about protecting the patients’ identities but their photo has already (gone) viral everywhere.

“But we have told them to consult us next time,” he told The Borneo Post today.

He was asked if there is any plan for him or Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to propose a name change to the cluster.

Dr Sim in a recent Facebook post said the Icom Cluster should be named SWAG Cluster because the Covid-19 infection did not originate from Icom Square here.

According to SDMC’s statement on April 22, the index case of that cluster attended a gathering at a restaurant in CityONE Megamall before proceeding to a bistro at Jalan Song on April 13.

The index case then attended a training session at Icom Square here on April 14 with a few lecturers who came from outside Sarawak, as well as other participants consisting of employees at a wealth management agency here.

Dr Sim added that cluster naming is a national matter because the name of a cluster serves a point of reference if infections become more widespread to other states.

He pointed out that the idea of naming clusters is not to stigmatise people but to encourage people to get themselves tested.

He said that a more meaningful naming of clusters is necessary because this is a public health emergency in which certain information must be readily available to the public.

“This is of public interest. If you name the cluster properly, people will go and get tested. Otherwise they wouldn’t know and they go back to work as usual.

“The whole idea is not to stigmatise people but so that you can go early to be tested in order to protect your family, your colleagues, your friends,” he said.

On the same note, Dr Sim advised members of the public to look through the locations of exposure to Covid-19 cases that SDMC releases daily.

“Only Sarawak reveals these locations, using our Public Health Ordinance. No other state, not even the ministry would reveal the locations.

“They will ask you to check MySejahtera but the app only tells you how many people are infected within one kilometre radius. But so what? Infections are now everywhere.

“What people want to know is where are the places that they have been to where there are positive cases reported so that they can quickly go and get themselves checked,” he said.

The post Dr Sim: Can’t change cluster name once it has been gazetted by MoH appeared first on Borneo Post Online.

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