KUALA LUMPUR: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) has assisted the Ministry of Health (MOH) in preparing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for quarantine centres for COVID-19 children.

Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff said the five SOPs for the Management of Children with COVID19 or Close Contact of Confirmed Case were prepared by the Social Welfare Department (JKM) in collaboration with non-governmental organisations.

The SOPs include the Management of Children with COVID19 at PKRC ( COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre) at MAEPS, Serdang; Management of Admission of Children with COVID-19 at the quarantine centre for children at PKRC; and Management of Children Who are Close Contact to COVID-19 Patient at unattended care centres and isolation centres.

"Among the support services provided are equipment to conduct counselling sessions at the MAEPS PKRC children's quarantine centre that will be conducted by counsellors from the MOH," she said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Negara, here today.

She was replying to a question from Senator Datuk Razali Idris on whether the government has plans to set up a special quarantine centre for children infected with COVID-19 to ensure their welfare and social-emotional development are not affected.

Siti Zailah said the other services provided were psychological intervention and counselling such as group counselling or individual counselling and psychological therapy.

"In terms of crisis intervention, the services provided include stress and trauma management as well as psychological firs aid and psychoeducation, psycho-spiritual programmes and art therapy," she said.

-- BERNAMA