PUTRAJAYA: Private hospitals can charge their patients for personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by health personnel for their medical treatment.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said it is important for doctors and nurses to know the health status of their patients before they can proceed with any surgery or operation.
"If the Covid-19 test has yet to be conducted on a patient, doctors and nurses would have to put on their PPE, and the cost would be charged to the patient's medical bill.
"This is being done at private hospitals only. Each patient needs to have a Covid-19 test and in the protocol, we are doing it for all patients before we proceed with any surgery.
"If the patient is found positive, then we will take precautionary action. If the patient tests negative, we will proceed with the operation," he said at the daily Covid-19 press conference here.
He was asked to comment on a viral news report of two private hospital patients in Petaling Jaya who claimed that the cost of the PPE gear worn by staff treating them comprised almost half of their total medical bills.
Meanwhile, on the SOPs for voters in the July 4 Chini by-election who test positive for Covid-19, Dr Noor Hisham said those who are hospitalised are not allowed to leave hospital to exercise their voting rights.
He said the ministry will come out with detailed SOPs with the assistance of other agencies on the matter before they are implemented.