Reports: Vandalism, runaway patients keep staff at Kelantan's Covid-19 quarantine centre on their toes
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The one and only Covid-19 quarantine centre in Kelantan is plagued with numerous problems, such as unsanctioned socialising, vandalism and runaway patients, Astro Awani reported.
The activities were detected at the Sektor Sumber Teknologi Pendidikan quarantine station in Pengkalan Chepa.
Astro Awani reported the station's supervisor, Captain Mohd Shafie Rosli from the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), as saying that the station was also grappling with those who abscond before the end of their isolation period.
“We separate the men and women... we do not monitor them all the time inside. (Inside) the room they are free to move. Although they have been warned when (staff) exit the room, such things happen my staff conducted a check and saw male patients exiting the room exiting from the female block.
“Apart from that, there are those who abscond from the quarantine station. There are four of five cases. They remove the metal bars, venture outside, and then return venture out because they wanted to break fast at home.
“For all these cases and problems, we lodged police reports immediately for investigations,” Mohd Shafie was quoted as saying.
He said that the centre also houses ex-prison inmates who needed to undergo quarantine.
Shafie said that since the centre opened, it had received more than 1,700 patients for screening and quarantine, including 41 former prisoners.
He added that there are 24 staff under him at the centre who carry out 24-hour surveillance, with a tighter watch on the former prisoners and those who are less disciplined.
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