GEORGE TOWN – After a two-week long search, the Health Ministry has selected the Mara Excellence Centre (ILKM) near Jawi in Seberang Prai as another Covid-19 low-risk treatment centre in Penang.
Sources said this centre will house more than 1,000 beds and is expected to be operational next month.
It is learnt that the state Health Department is unable to find a suitable place on the island that is more convenient for health frontliners compared with the one in Jawi.
However, they have no choice as the state is facing a shortage of beds to treat Covid-19 patients.
Ministry officials are working to finalise documentation for the low-risk treatment centre to be set up.
It is learnt that it took several hours and more than 100 volunteers to set up the Balik Pulau centre, but seeing that Penang is now under the movement control order, the turnaround time for the set-up will be longer.
In another development, a video clip of two men fighting at a hawker centre at Air Itam went viral in the morning when the customer accused the food stall owner of not following the standard operating procedures.
It was believed that an argument between the stall owner and the customer triggered the fight.
Police could not be reached for comments on the matter. – The Vibes, January 16, 2021
