[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: The Ministry of Health (MINSA) is increasing its service capacity in Sabah to be better prepared to handle the increase in Covid-19 cases in the state, says Datuk Seri Dr. Adham Baba.
The Health Minister said that among the initiatives implemented to ensure that the state was at the optimal level in handling Covid-19 cases included the conversion of hospitals to admit only Covid-19 patients, the mobilization of health care personnel. and the increase in the allocation, among others.
Dr Adham said the ministry would convert Kota Marudu Hospital, about 120 km from Kota Kinabalu, to treat only Covid-19 patients in the state, as well as six other Low Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centers (PKRC) of Covid-19.
The Health Ministry now has seven hospitals to treat Covid-19 cases and 16 PKRC in Sabah.
“As of October 11, there are a total of 4,834 beds prepared to treat Covid-19 patients in the seven Covid-19 and 16 PKRC hospitals in Sabah.
“From that, the use of beds in the seven hospitals is 66%, while the use of beds in the PKRC is 22% of the 3,876 beds available there.
“In total, 30% of the beds are used to treat Covid-19 patients. Those who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms will be placed in the PKRC, “he said yesterday in a statement.
The Health Ministry, he said, was also doubling down on its efforts to increase the number of beds through public-private cooperation.
He said the Health Ministry would outsource some services to private hospitals in Sabah, such as Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital, KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital, and Jesselton Medical Center, among others.
To increase the treatment capacity of Covid-19 patients at Tawau Hospital, the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) are working on the preparation of the Medan Hospital in Tawau with the help of the army and medical officers.
Medan Hospital will have a capacity of 100 beds.
Apart from that, the workforce is also increasing through the mobilization of health personnel from other states.
To date, some 483 doctors have been mobilized, including specialists, physicians, medical assistants, nurses, and laboratory and X-ray technicians, among others.
“The Ministry of Health is also looking into the possibility of cooperating with NGOs and the private sector to help with the labor force in Sabah,” said Dr. Adham.
In terms of diagnostic capabilities, he said Sabah had three labs and to reduce its burden, several labs on the peninsula would help with testing.
The samples will be sent to laboratories on the peninsula through special flights with the help of the MAF.
The ministry is also working on the preparation of modular and molecular laboratories at Tawau Hospital to help increase detection capacity.
Dr Adham said that additional allocations have also been made to the Sabah Health Department to purchase PPE suits and other medical equipment.
The minister said Sabah had 180 fans and current usage was 38%.
He added that the Health Ministry was also in the middle of sending an additional 14 units to the state.
[ad_2]
