KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah government has no intention to build a new hospital at present as there are already 11 hospitals treating late-stage Covid-19 patients, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Md Noor.
“Queen Elizabeth Hospital I, Queen Elizabeth Hospital II, Likas Women and Children’s Hospital, Sandakan’s Duchess of Kent Hospital, and the Tawau, Keningau, Lahad Datu, Kota Marudu, Semporna, Tambunan, and Kudat hospitals are treating Covid-19 patients who are in their third and fifth stage.
“35 low-risk treatment centres have also been opened and the government is looking at new locations to be converted into such centres.
“This, and the Tawau field hospital which is being run by the military,” said Hajiji during the question-and-answer session at the state assembly today.
As of yesterday, Sabah’s hospitals have 1,010 beds in total while low-risk quarantine and treatment centres have 5,611 total beds. Beds used as of yesterday stand at 36.31%.
On assistance, Hajiji said the state has allocated RM160 million to assist Sabahans affected by the pandemic, with an additional RM50 million from the federal government.
As of November 15, the state has spent RM34.8 million, disbursed to districts where the localities come under the total lockdown, and RM33,759,400 on food baskets to 113,919 individuals.
RM7,302,900 in aid has been given to 24,343 orphans, senior citizens, children, and the disabled; another RM1,222,800 in aid to single mothers, RM15,668,400 to 52,228 farmers and B40 individuals comprising fishermen, oil palm smallholders, cocoa, rubber tappers, and breeders; and RM895,200 in aid to 2,984 Mount Kinabalu porters, artisans, tourist guides, and divemasters.
“A total of RM4,853,700 was also given to 16,179 people registered under the e-Kasih programme and those in the B40 group not registered under the e-Kasih database,” he said.
Hajiji said RM100,000 was also spent to assist 1,721 universiti students in the state; RM1,158 million on 3,860 taxi, lorry and bus drivers, and boat operators in the Menumbok-Labuan jetty; and RM2,447,400 in cash aid to 8,158 hawkers.
On the RM50 million federal fund, Hajiji said the funds were channelled to the National Disaster Agency on October 26, mostly spent on accommodation for frontliners and officials on duty, car rental used by frontliners, purchase of protective gear, and payments involving quarantine and treatment centres arrears.
Meanwhile, Hajiji said 406,000 Sabahans benefited from the federal cash aid of Bantuan Sara Hidup involving RM474 million, and 905,000 Sabahans benefited from Bantuan Prihatin Nasional 1.0 involving RM983 million. – The Vibes, November 16, 2020
