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KOTA KINABALU: A health worker in Sabah claims that the biggest challenge for the state to handle the increase in Covid-19 cases is the lack of manpower in hospitals.
The doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, said that although many nurses from the peninsula had mobilized to Sabah, it was not enough to solve the shortage.
“It is true that several health workers from Kuala Lumpur came here last week, but once they arrive, they must quarantine for another week or two.
“Once they have completed their quarantine, most of them cannot start work immediately because they are ‘juniors’ and have no experience and must be taught again.”
Speaking to FMT, the doctor claimed that the lack of hospital staff, mainly nurses, caused many to work overtime to a point where they faced mental health problems.
“There are nurses who cry because they are overworked, in addition to being stressed and scared, because every day they have to deal with patients who have been infected with the virus. Who wouldn’t be scared?
“They have also had to make a lot of sacrifices, they don’t have much free time and they have to separate from their families for fear of bringing the disease back.
“There are also doctors in the intensive care unit (ICU) who have resorted to taking sleeping pills due to overwork and stress.”
The doctor agreed with the president of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Dr. Subramaniam Muniandy, who said that the information on medical facilities and the occupancy of beds in hospitals and ICU did not correspond to the figures. presented during the daily press conference of the Ministry of Health.
“It’s true (Subramaniam’s statement)… the director general of health says that there are enough beds in the ICU, and only 70% of them are occupied, but they are also taking into account the ICU beds in other districts.
“If a patient is in critical condition, they will send him here (Queen Elizabeth Hospital) so of course (the ICU beds) in other states are not full. The front lines in Keningau, Tawau and Sandakan told me that their ICU wards are full.
“For me, what the CEO says is too broad and different from the real picture here. I hope you can come and see the situation for yourself. “
Despite the extreme challenges, the doctor said they were doing everything possible to control the increase in Covid-19 cases.
“We have fought to the fullest and this does not include non-Covid-19 cases like cancer. In all of Sabah, only Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (QEH II) remains to operate for cancer treatment. Only elective surgeries are performed there, since the other hospitals have become treatment centers for Covid-19 ”.
The doctor said this was also a challenge for QEH II as it lacked manpower after many of its nurses mobilized to treat Covid-19 cases, adding that the hospital was not prioritized in terms of medical equipment as most were sent to Covid. -19 treatment centers.
The doctor urged the government to pay more attention to QEH II, as it was the only non-Covid-19 hospital in the area.
The doctor also expressed his gratitude to NGOs and the private sector that have provided assistance to hospital staff to contain the spread of Covid-19 in Sabah.
“In reality, many of the medical machines, air-purifying respirators and personal protective equipment were donated by NGOs.
“If we wait for the center, who knows how many would have died before (the medical team) arrives.”
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