Health Dg Langkawi Prepared For Visitors But Please Adhere To Sops

---

 Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has reminded those intending to visit Langkawi Island under the tourism bubble pilot project to continue adhering to the standard operating procedure (SOP) against Covid-19.
In finding a balance between public health and economic survival, he urged everyone to play their role to ensure no surge in infections will occur on the island.

“Your cooperation is very much needed,” said Noor Hisham in a Facebook post.
This comes after Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri announced last week that domestic tourists who fulfill certain SOP criteria will be allowed to visit Langkawi beginning Sept 16.
This includes even visitors from states that are still in Phase One of the National Recovery Plan.
Following this, Noor Hisham said the Kedah State Health Department was increasing the capacity and preparedness of the Sultanah Maliha Hospital (HSM) in Langkawi.
This is given the possibility of a spike in Covid-19 cases on the island which may require hospital and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions.


HSM is a hybrid hospital providing treatment for Covid-19 patients with 79 beds and another 142 beds for other patients.

Noor Hisham said with the setting up of the Langkawi Covid-19 Low-risk Treatment and Quarantine Centre at the Langkawi International Shooting Range Malaysia (i-PKRC Lisram) last Aug 4, 60 additional beds have been provided to treat Category One, Two, and Three low-risk patients.
“As for the ICU, eight additional beds were repurposed, putting the total at 13 beds and of the number, nine are reserved for Covid-19 patients,” he said.
In addition, other departments at HSM, including Emergency and Trauma, Pathology, Medical Transfusion, Paediatric, Forensic, and the Hemodialysis Unit are all prepared should there be an increase in Covid-19 cases. - mkini

Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (fifth left) at Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Langkawi

---