NCPRC To Improve Health Crisis Management

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the National Crisis (Health) Preparedness and Response Centre (NCPRC) under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) will help the Ministry of Health to strengthen and increase its level of preparedness in terms of health crisis and disaster management.
Health Ministry's Communicable Disease Control Director Datuk Dr Ramlee Rahmat said the establishment of NCPRC, which would be extended to the state and district levels, would also assist the ministry in developing strategies to address public health issues and rehabilitation in the event of disasters.
"We would be able to have rapid information, rapid response and rapid action in any crisis," he said.
The NCPRC would be set up at the Ministry of Health premises in Putrajaya. Currently, the ministry has a small operation centre to deal with all information and monitor any disease outbreak in the country through their health department in the various states.
"However, with the NCPRC, we would have proper funding and allocation to run the centre throughout the country, as well as complement the National Operations Centre at the National Security Division in the Prime Minister's Department," he said.
However, Dr Ramlee said the NCPRC comprised mainly the staff of the Ministry of Health as it was an internal organisation at the ministry's level to deal with the health crisis and disaster management in the country.
"The centre will coordinate all health related activities in the event of a crisis to ensure effective and immediate response, including coordination with international organisations, NGOs and the private sector," he said.
Expressing happiness that the NCPRC project would finally take off with firm commitment from the government, Dr Ramlee said the establishment of the centre would be another milestone for the country in its plan to have better and rapid response on any health crisis management.