THE current usage of patient beds, including repurposed beds in hospitals in the Klang Valley, has now reached more than 85%, said Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.

He said by taking into account the need for extra beds, especially in intensive care units, the Health Ministry (MoH) would implement several immediate measures to address the unexpected high referral rate to the ministry’s hospitals in the Klang Valley.

Among steps that will be implemented immediately is to further expand the outsourcing of non-Covid-19 patients to private hospitals to enable the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) to treat more Covid-19 patients.

In addition, the capacity of ICU and non-ICU beds, including equipment and facilities such as ventilators in MoH hospitals and university teaching hospitals such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Children’s Specialist Hospital (HPKK), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Hospital and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Hospital, will be increased to treat more Covid-19 patients.

“Another step is to provide temporary reassignment (mobilisation) of healthcare personnel, consisting of medical specialists and paramedics from other states, to support services at MoH hospitals and teaching hospitals that need additional staff to treat Covid-19 patients,” he said in a statement today.

Adham said another measure was to optimise the contribution of volunteers and final year nursing students from MoH training institutes who are undergoing practical training to assist healthcare personnel, such as at vaccination centres (PPVs), while some experienced nurses at PPVs and Covid-19 screening centres would be reassigned to MoH hospitals.

“Through these actions, MoH hopes that the pressure faced by the hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients can be reduced from time to time and the country can achieve recovery soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, Adham said of the total Covid-19 cases handled by HKL, 71% were category 3 to 5 patients, while the remaining were category one and two patients.

Based on the latest records, the HKL Emergency and Trauma Department receives between 60 and 70 virus patients daily, with an average of three category 4 and 5 patients who need respiratory assistance in addition to being treated in the ICU.

He said the high number of admissions or referrals to the HKL Emergency and Trauma Department as a Covid-19 hybrid status referral hospital, especially in receiving Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients were managed by providing extra beds, while stable virus patients would be transferred to the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital and the nearby Respiratory Medicine Institute.

The increasing number of virus patients or referrals to MoH hospitals in the Klang Valley is being addressed in a collaboration with Sg Buloh Hospital, which now has the status of Covid-19 hospital, and the Covid-19 quarantine and low-risk treatment centre at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park, which treats Covid-19 patients up to category 4 before being transferred to the hospital.

“MoH is also working with HPKK UKM, UPM Hospital, UiTM Hospital and the armed forces hospital to treat both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients,” said Dr Adham. – Bernama, July 4, 2021.