KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) today urged the government to beef up Sabah’s healthcare system.
As the surge in Covid-19 cases continues in the state, there are fears non-Covid patients may be neglected as the lion’s share of resources are channelled towards dealing with the pandemic.
“These non-Covid cases needing medical attention may be affected significantly due to the diversion of resources to curbing the pandemic,” MMA president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy told The Vibes.
He added, in the long run, it is critical for the state’s healthcare resources to be upgraded and refurbished, and he also called for an increase in medical frontliners.
Subramaniam said poverty in the state is also a major concern, amplifying the dire consequences of the pandemic multiple folds.
“Our ability to contain outbreaks and pandemics relies significantly on public health capacity,” he said.
He added, Sabah faces challenging terrains in providing treatment to patients, as it is also dealing with a sizeable population of undocumented immigrants.
“We can also expect the number of daily cases to continue to be high for now due to the backlog in test results and ongoing testing being carried out,” he said.
Subramaniam added funds will be needed immediately for beds, maintaining and establishing new quarantine centres for milder cases, and critical medical equipment such as powered air-purifying respirators to protect medical staff working in high-risk Covid-19 wards.
“There is also a need for high flow nasal cannula treatment for critical cases, more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), human resources and other related pandemic needs,” he said.
“Both the federal and state government will also need to look into a recovery plan for those whose livelihoods are affected by the pandemic from lockdown measures in parts of the state.” – The Vibes, October 20, 2020
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