THE influx of Category 3 Covid-19 patients to the Malaysian Agro Exposition Park (Maeps) has posed a challenge, said the Selangor health department.

In a statement, the department said the influx of such patients had the low-risk quarantine and treatment centre management working to improve conditions.

It acknowledged the situation at Maeps may have triggered some dissatisfaction.

“Initially Maeps only had 60 beds for category 3 as of January but now the centre has 757 patients in the category and we are looking to increase the capacity to 1,000 beds to support the health system in the Klang Valley following the increase in virus patient numbers,” it said.

“Therefore, category 3 patients are being placed at nearby halls, which are at a short distance from the temporary intensive care unit, so that they can be closely monitored whereas stable patients belonging to categories 1 and 2 will be placed at the DG hall,” it added.

There are five categories of Covid-19 infections: 1 is positive cases with no symptoms, 2 is positive cases with mild symptoms, 3 is positive cases with pneumonia, 4 is pneumonia cases that require oxygen and 5 is for cases that require breathing assistance.

The department said it is also trying to house citizens and foreigners in the centre separately.

It added that the complaints raised on the admission process is welcomed and authorities will work to improve the situation.

The statement came after a patient took to social media to complain about the long registration process.

Detailing his experience in a thread of tweets, Syed Mohamed Arif said he spent almost nine hours  at the Covid Assessment Centre (CAC) at Melawati Stadium and another two hours for registration at Maeps.

“Stadium Melawati from 8.30am till 5.30pm, it took them nine hours to decide that I had to go to the quarantine centre.

“Upon arrival in a cramped, no social distancing bus, we were clueless of where will we be sent to,” he tweeted.

Syed Mohamed Arif said asymptomatic patients also started developing symptoms after the process.

“Most of us sent here are asymptomatic Covid-19 patients. But after going through the process at the CAC and coming here, we began to develop symptoms such as coughing (I myself started to cough).”

“I am definitely stressed here, mentally, physically; it’s almost torturing me deep inside,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about how demanding I am. It’s about the basic things that people need to get if they’re sick and to be treated. We’re Covid patients after all aren’t we?” he added.

However, he said his complaints were directed at the management, not the front-liners on duty. – May 16, 2021.