Covid 19 Wards Are Full In Several States Says Minister

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The health ministry has increased intensive care unit (ICU) beds as well as the number of health personnel, especially in the Klang Valley. (Health ministry pic)PUTRAJAYA: The bed utilisation rate for Covid-19 patients in government hospitals is currently at 75%, with several states having reached their maximum occupancy level, health minister Dr Adham Baba said today.
He said the ministry has repurposed its health facilities and enhanced cooperation with private and teaching hospitals to ensure the number of beds to treat Covid-19 patients is sufficient.
“Hospitals in states such as Johor, Terengganu, Kelantan, Sarawak as well as in the Klang Valley have reached their maximum bed usage level. Therefore, we have repurposed normal wards to be used for Covid-19 treatment.
“We have also increased intensive care unit (ICU) beds, especially in the Klang Valley, as well as the number of health personnel,” he told a virtual press conference here today.
Adham said the ministry had also forged cooperation with the Universiti Putra Malaysia teaching hospital and obtained conditional approval from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to use its Specialist Children’s Hospital to treat Covid-19 cases.
He added that non-critical cases would be transferred to non-Covid-19 gazetted hospitals.
“The ministry is always ready to face the increase in the number of positive Covid-19 cases,” he said.
However, he urged the public to limit their movements outside their homes so as to help the ministry reduce the pressure on public healthcare facilities.
In another development, Adham said the ministry would implement various strategies to address mental health issues in the community, including among health workers, affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said among the strategies were improving the basic psychological assistance training to frontliners and members of other agencies, as well as increasing the involvement of local religious leaders in mental health advocacy. - FMT

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