THE intensive care unit occupancy rate in Klang Valley hospitals has reached 90% as of today, said Health Director-General, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In a Facebook post, he said a total of six hospitals with critical care beds and intensive care units (ICU) dedicated to treating Covid-19 patients were found to have exceeded the threshold, with bed capacity exceeding 70%.

The six are Sg Buloh Hospital, Kuala Lumpur hospital, Ampang hospital, Serdang hospital, Selayang hospital and Tengku Ampuan Rahimah hospital in Klang.

He said some of these hospitals are also reaching 100% bed capacity and ICU utilisation.

Noor Hisham said the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre has reported 50% use of its beds in ICU units.

Meanwhile, he said Sg Buloh hospital, which is fully operational as a Covid-19 hospital, will increase its capacity of ICU beds in phases to meet the increasing needs.

“The MOH has procured medical equipment such as ventilators since 2020 to enable Sg Buloh hospital to increase the capacity of critical treatment beds when there is an urgent need.

“Elective surgeries and procedures in hospitals around the Klang Valley will be reduced or delayed to allow more hospital beds to be reserved for Covid-19 treatment,” he said, adding that this move would allow medical personnel to be mobilised to more critical areas for the care of Covid-19 patients.

Noor Hisham said there have more than 20 referrals to the ICU daily in the past week at the Sg Buloh hospital and there are currently 63 patients in the ICU.

In addition, there are more than 25 critically ill patients under observation in the general ward and emergency department, he said.

“MOH will also continue to work with private hospitals, teaching staff or universities around the Klang Valley to increase the capacity of beds for critical cases.

“This includes directing non-Covid-19 patients for certain cases and procedures to private hospitals, to be treated with the cost borne by the government on agreed treatment charges.”

Noor Hisham warned that if the upward trend of Covid-19 cases continues, the delivery of public health services as whole will be greatly impacted.

A total of 2,881 new Covid-19 cases were reported yesterday, with once again Selangor recording the highest number of cases at 759.

Fifteen people died from the coronavirus, raising the death toll to 1,521.

There were 337 patients in intensive care, 176 of them requiring respiratory support. – May 2, 2021.