KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has a legal right to protect a patient’s confidentiality, such as his name, address and other personal details, medical experts said.
This is provided for under the Medical Act 1971 and Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Act 1988.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr N. Ganabaskaran said personal details and private information regarding patients’ families or home addresses should not be disclosed to prevent mass panic.
Commending the Health Ministry for its “excellent job on contact tracing”, he said the ministry had been transparent in disclosing information to the public.
“This is a public health issue and we should have faith in our experts doing the job on the ground. The ministry has been providing sufficient and updated information on Covid-19.”
On the use of the term “super-spreader” — a patient who infects more people than the usual number — Dr Ganabaskaran said it was a terminology widely used in public health.
However, he said, this should not be sensationalised but focus, instead, should be on promoting awareness of Covid-19.
He said it was through awareness and education only that fear and the stigma attached to patients, former patients and suspected cases, could be addressed.
“There will be less fear and panic if people are well informed. The spread of fake news can be damaging. Many Malaysians aren’t aware of how to verify information or check fake news. The media plays an important role in educating the public to identify fake news and misinformation.”
Dr Ganabaskaran said the police and MCMC would need to work with the ministry in addressing fake news and misinformation, while the media should continue to highlight the guidelines issued by the ministry on Persons Under Investigation (PUI), close contacts and home quarantine.
Malaysian Public Health Medicine Specialist Association president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar, however, said while patient confidentiality was paramount, the public had the right to information that is critical to the community and country.
“Some of the info may generate negative feedback, but with clear explanation, people will be more informed. At the same time, we can educate and better our citizens’ mentality.
“I would prefer it if the affected person came out to tell his side of the story and apologise. Just like Steve Walsh (described as Briton’s superspreader) and (Datuk) Hisham Hamdan (Malaysia’s 26th patient) did.
“There were some negative responses initially, but finally, the community accepted and congratulated him,” he told the NST.
Dr Zainal said it could be “very difficult to keep sensitive information under lock and key” as it would leak out.
He called on the ministry to be transparent and conduct better risk communication and public engagement to increase public understanding of Covid-19.
He shared an experience in his neighbourhood, where the people and member of parliament assisted the family of a PUI.
“They bought food and groceries and left them at the gate for the family. I did not see any negative action from the neighbourhood.
“We have to understand community perception and psychology. Everybody is scared, but we must keep the lines of communication open.”
Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit, a senior fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said a patient’s details should be protected unless he wishes to come out in the open.
“Education and the dissemination of accurate information are important in the fight against any emerging infectious disease,” he said.