KUALA LUMPUR (March 4): Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care (RSDH) says three Covid-19 cases were discovered at its Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

The three SJMC cases are part of the 50 total cases that Ministry of Health (MoH) announced separately today, of which 14 were confirmed at noon.

The first two cases were patients who came to get treatment at SJMC’s emergency room (ER), while the third case was a hospital staff who came into contact with the second patient in the ER, according to RSDH's statement today.

The first patient, Malaysia's 25th confirmed case, was a man who recently travelled to Italy and Singapore. He went to SJMC to seek treatment on Feb 26. A day later, the second patient, the 26th confirmed case in the country, was discovered to have contracted the virus.

A few days later on March 3, the hospital staff was tested positive for the virus, making the staff the 34th case of the illness in Malaysia. All three have since been admitted to Hospital Sungai Buloh (HSB) for further treatment.

Following these cases, RSDH said all of its staff members who have had contact with the infected have been tested for Covid-19 and been placed under home quarantine. A number of them have since been cleared to return to work.

Meanwhile, it said SJMC temporarily closed its ER yesterday afternoon for two hours, for a thorough cleansing and disinfection. The ER then reopened at 6pm the same day.

RSDH chief executive officer Greg Brown said RSDH is working closely with the MoH, and that the group has implemented stringent safety protocols at its hospitals.

“We have taken proactive measures to protect our staff and doctors by requesting that all international travel be postponed. Appropriate measures have also been undertaken to quarantine staff who have already travelled outside Malaysia, particularly to the countries listed by MoH, that are affected by Covid-19. In addition to this, Infection Prevention and Control teams are frequently conducting briefings at all our hospitals, to all staff, to minimise exposure and [to] contain the spread,” Brown said.

As part of its safety protocols, RSDH said it has implemented screening stations at all entry points of its hospitals, to ensure patients and visitors are thoroughly screened in accordance with MoH guidelines. It has also set up triage areas outside its ERs to manage suspected Covid-19 cases.