SHAH ALAM – The Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang is set to receive two more containers from the Health Ministry (MoH) to keep an expected increase in the number of bodies of dead Covid-19 patients in Selangor.
HTAR director Dr Zulkarnain Mohd Rawi said, with the additional two containers, the hospital will now have four containers to be used as morgues, including one donated by MIC and one owned by its Forensic Department, which can keep a total of 120 bodies.
“With the four containers, as well as the existing facilities at the Forensic Department, we are able to keep an estimated 150 bodies,” he said today.
On the bodies piling up at the hospital’s Forensic Department following a shortage of senior health inspectors to manage funeral arrangements, Dr Zulkarnain said the matter will be resolved in stages with the assistance of and assets from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).
He said the collaboration is a result of discussions between MoH secretary-general Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah and the MAF.
Dr Zulkarnain said that HTAR, which has been turned into a Covid-19 hybrid hospital, still accepts non-Covid cases, such as road accident and heart attack victims.
“We still accept these cases and HTAR also refers road accident and heart attack cases to the Selangor KPJ hospitals in Shah Alam and Klang,” he said.
He said based on a memorandum of understanding between the MoH and KPJ Hospital signed last month, HTAR has so far referred about 20 patients requiring further treatment to the two KPJ hospitals.
“We will conduct Covid-19 screening tests first before the patients are referred to the two hospitals while the cost involved is also borne by the government,” he said.
On the mobilisation of healthcare workers from outside the Klang Valley, he said that, so far, HTAR has received 20 personnel from Perlis to assist with the management of the hospital. – Bernama, July 14, 2021
