The Malaysian Insight

HEALTH Minister Dr Adham Baba said today the government is to introduce a raft of new measures to combat skyrocketing Covid-19 case numbers in the Klang Valley.

The measures include taking bed capacity past 5,000, with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin promising another RM100 million to outsource health services in the region, the minister said.

“Muhyiddin has ordered 151 beds and 15 ventilators to be added at the mother and child complex at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang immediately,” Adham said at a press conference today.

HTAR has been in the news after reports the hospital’s wards overflowed with Covid-19 cases, and makeshift beds had to be set up in the driveway in front of the emergency department.

Adham said the number of beds in Selangor will be increased from 3,412 to 3,777, whereas the capacity in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will be increased from 795 to 1,129.

The ministry will also work with teaching hospitals to manage Covid-19 cases.

He added that the dire situation at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) low-risk quarantine and treatment centre in Serdang was also being addressed by converting it into a hospital to treat Category 4 and 5 Covid-19 cases, with 4,888 beds.

MAEPS, which reportedly faced a shortage of oxygen, will receive fresh supplies to serve more than 1,500 patients. This will involve 1,000 oxygen tanks and another 1,000 concentrators, which have been dispatched to the centre, Adham said.

Capacity at intensive care units (ICU) has also been increased from 280 to 349 beds in Selangor and from 90 to 117 in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The ministry is also increasing manpower by transferring 1,190 healthcare workers to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Negri Sembilan.

Meanwhile, Selangor Health Director Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman, who was also at the press conference, addressed the crowding at the Stadium Malawati Covid-19 assessment centre yesterday.

He said the centre can accommodate 1,500 people at a time.

“However, yesterday there were 4,483 patients who had to be assessed. This is an exponential increase,” Sha’ari said.

Health authorities have increased manpower at the centre, bringing in 85 personnel from other states and from public health clinics.

“We have reduced the treatment capacity for chronic cases at health clinics to 25%. Therefore, we could uproot the staff,” he added.

Photos of the crowd comprising of Covid-19 patients went viral on social media yesterday. – July 13, 2021.