GEORGE TOWN – A Health Department official has revealed that public hospitals struggling to cope with the stream of Covid-19 patients are not just dogged by equipment shortages, but the lack of qualified staff to handle a crisis of this magnitude.
This is particularly due to the increasing stress of having to run intensive care units (ICUs) at maximum capacity.
ICU patients usually need several skilled and experienced staff to look after them daily.
“If you talk about staffing, we mean 24/7 care for each bed. Our nurses run on three shifts, and you also need to allow them rest,” the official, who declined to be named, told The Vibes.
“One bed requires a minimum of five nurses – one for the morning shift, one for the afternoon and another on night shift. We also need one for post-night and one more to cover the nurse’s weekly leave entitlement.
“If we say we want to open another 20 beds, we are talking about 100 nurses to run the proper nursing care for patients.
“It is not about the bed availability, but also about human resources and equipment,” the official said.
Non-Covid patients still a priority
The basic equipment for each bed comprises ventilators, suction apparatus, airway access equipment, vascular access equipment, monitoring equipment (both non-invasive and invasive), defibrillation and pacing facilities, equipment to control patient temperature, chest drainage equipment, infusion and specialised pumps, portable transport equipment, lifting/weighing equipment and access to ultrasound for placement of intravascular catheters.
According to the officer, the heaviest burden is on staffing as many companies have already pledged to donate equipment, while the Health Ministry (MoH) has procured additional gear, too.
“Staffing during the non-Covid scenario is designed for non-Covid patients. With Covid-19, there are still people suffering from strokes, heart attacks and accidents who we need to treat as well.
“It is a double whammy for us because we still need to treat non-Covid patients, not just Covid-19 patients.”
Though there are requests for some patients to move to private hospitals for treatment, he said many people cannot afford it.
“A normal bed in a private hospital can cost up to RM5,000 per day. (A bed in an) ICU is much more than that.
“If you need to stay 10 days, the bill may be in the tens of thousands. That is the reality.”
Vital equipment donation
Meanwhile, Tan Hun Beng, newly elected chairman of the Penang Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda), told The Vibes that the association has contributed an oxygen regulatory machine to Penang Hospital last week.
The device, which costs about RM20,000, helps monitor oxygenation of critical care patients.
“Looking at this situation, it is very critical. It is our duty to help the people of Malaysia to pass through the hard times,” Tan said.
“However, the people must play their role in practising the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and staying at home.
“The goal is not to open more ICU centres or get more equipment because of the pandemic. We have to look at how to stop the pandemic.
“Whatever contribution that we give will never be enough if people are not disciplined in playing their part to curb the spread of the Covid-10 virus,” he said. – The Vibes, May 22, 2021
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