New report: The COVID-19 Long-Term Care situation in Malaysia

Kejal Hasmuk, Hakimah Sallehuddin, Maw Pin Tan

Key findings:

  • Malaysia has 19 government-run, 350 registered and over 1000 unregistered residential aged-care facilities
  • Home-based long-term care is currently unregulated in Malaysia
  • Welfare Department and Ministry of Health officials work closely with academics, care home representatives and civil society representatives to reach out to care homes
  • Malaysia has adopted a mass-testing strategy for all care homes, registered and unregistered, a rate of positive tests for 8% of care homes and of 0.3% staff/residents was reported after 180 of 1300 homes were screened 
  • An “older persons” cluster has been reported which involved at least one care home and 2 deaths (in total there have been 113 COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia)
  • Care homes lack basic PPE and have difficulty observing physical distancing within their confined spaces.
  • No visitors are allowed and care homes are discouraged from admitting any new residents
  • Care home residents with suspected COVID-19 will be admitted to COVID hospitals, with all other residents admitted for isolation and testing if necessary. 

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