PUTRAJAYA: Legal action can be taken against patients who fail to reveal their medical and travel history prior to their Covid-19 screening.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a police report could be lodged against those who purposely concealed the truth, exposing medical staff to the novel coronavirus infection.
This follows instances involving patients who only informed healthcare personnel that they had links with the participants of a tabligh gathering in Sri Petaling recently after being tested.
Should the matter remain a secret, and their tests turn out positive, the ministry had no choice but to close down wards and operation theatres to carry out sanitisation works. The affected staff will then have to be screened and quarantined.
Dr Noor Hisham said it was also unfair to expose health personnel to such risks.
"I urge the ministry’s staff to lodge a police report if the patients refuse to reveal (necessary) information. It is crucial information and we can also be infected.
"For example, if you don't reveal your travels to five countries (with Covid-19) or contact with the tabligh group, if you inform us, we are able to protect our personnel before carrying out checks on you," he told a press conference today.