A KEY adviser to the Sarawak disaster management committee urged the state Health Department to investigate and share its findings on the number of Covid-19 victims declared dead on arrival (DOA).

Dr Sim Hui Kian said the issue is of public interest in Sarawak, even if the Ministry of Health disagrees.

Sim – the state’s minister of housing and local government – said only DOA cases in greater Kuching are tested for Covid-19 when they are brought into Sarawak General Hospital.

The latest case reported was that of a 44-year-old Kuching man who died on August 20 and the cause of death was only disclosed yesterday.

Sim said there are many reasons for DOA cases.

A renowned cardiologist before entering politics, Sim said medical professionals worldwide “had noticed” DOA victims are linked to a condition called “happy hypoxia”.

The medical encyclopedia describes happy hypoxia as a silent hypoxia where the oxygen level in a person’s body is low and tends to damage vital organs like brain, heart or kidneys if not detected and treated at the right time. Fewer than 90% of cases go undetected.

The condition is so called because the patient does not show any symptoms or discomfort.

There is no breathlessness or gasping and the patient can in fact feel absolutely healthy.

Sarawak today reported a record 2,024 new cases, two deaths and four new clusters.

Of the new cases, one was Category 4 and the other Category 5.

In Category 4, the patient has a lung infection and is in need of oxygen, while in Category 5, the patient is in danger of multiple organ failure.

The disaster committee said 99.85% of the cases reported were in Categories 1 and 2.

Kuching district continues to report the highest number of cases, 848, with neighbouring districts Samarahan recording 200 and Serian 198.

The only other district with more than 100 new cases is Sibu with 161.

Sim said Sarawak’s high rate of vaccination has “produced a positive outcome”.

“It has reduced the levels of Categories 3, 4 and 5 cases. (It) has led to a drop in mortality rate.”

He said with 99% of the reported daily cases are asymptomatic or show only mild symptoms, the hospital’s critical care, bed utilisation rate has also reduced from more than 70% in June to less than 40% this month. – August 26, 2021.