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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s medical facilities and health caregivers are overburdened as the state struggles with a daily triple-digit increase in Covid-19 cases.
Doctors, nurses and medical support services continue to fight as authorities struggle to establish “extension” rooms outside of hospitals.
The leaders, who were expecting a new wave of Covid-19 cases after the state elections on September 26, are asking the public to follow the standard operating procedure of the Ministry of Health to stop the spread of the virus. There are also new calls for donations of medical equipment to hospitals dedicated to Covid-19.
The Director of the State Department of Health, Datuk Dr Christina Rundi, in a letter to the Malaysian Medical Association, requested 60 powered air-purifying respirators, six negative pressure isolation chambers and 22 high-flow nasal cannula machines.
In his letter seen by The star, said the equipment was needed at six designated hospitals: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Likas Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Duchess of Kent in Sandakan, along with hospitals in Tawau, Lahad Datu and Keningau.
Osimal Foundation president Tan Sri Richard Malanjun said the NGO was raising funds to meet the needs of the hospitals.
Sabah’s frontline doctors said the situation worsened when medical staff tested positive for Covid-19.
A medical officer at one of the hospitals dedicated to Covid-19 pointed out that those who came into contact with infected personnel would also have to be quarantined and this put enormous pressure on the entire department.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is creating additional rooms with 710 beds.
The hospital extension wards were installed at the Likas Sports Complex in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau Sports Complex, Tun Mustapha Hall in Lahad Datu and Sandakan Sports Complex for the Sandakan Hospital of the Duchess of Kent.
Health Director General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 72 beds would be set aside to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients. A task force consisting of medical experts and officers, assistant medical officers, and trained nurses was also being deployed to assist the Sabah. Health Department on staffing for these additional rooms.
The extensions were reserved for Covid-19 patients with less severe symptoms to ease pressure on intensive care units and Covid-19 wards in dedicated hospitals, a local health official said.
Sabah has almost 2,000 active cases with new emerging groups.
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