KUALA LUMPUR – The increasing number of Covid-19 patients in the Klang Valley has caused the military to be brought in and help the Health Ministry equip several Covid-19 hospitals in the region with between 4,000 to 15,000 beds.
The Health Ministry and Malaysian Armed Forces have formed a joint task force, headed by Deputy Health Director-General (Public Health) Datuk Dr Chong Chee Keong with joint task force commander Dr Mohd Arshil Moideen and Selayang Hospital’s emergency, trauma and disaster management head Datuk Dr Mohamed Alwi Abdul Rahman.
The task force is currently engaging private medical practitioners, academicians, and civil servants to help assess and equip full Covid-19 hospitals with beds, depending on the required numbers.
A source said all ICUs at hospitals in the Greater Klang Valley are presently at full capacity, forcing health workers to decant as many patients to private hospitals in an effort to convert certain government hospitals into full Covid-19 hospitals.
The move, the source said, is to ensure that the health system is capable of handling more incoming patients.
Another source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Health Ministry has only 5,000 intensive care unit beds but requires up to 9,000 beds to ensure optimum patient care.
“The worst-case scenario will require 15,000 beds in total,” the source said.
As such, the source said the joint task force is considering decanting more non-Covid-19 patients out of the Klang Valley in view of such a scenario.
In the meantime, the source said the joint task force is also addressing the shortage of oxygen supply, medications, and logistical equipment, and is in the midst of supplying the necessities to affected hospitals.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba had reportedly announced early last month that the army had set up a 50-bed field hospital on the grounds of Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital to accommodate the overflow of Covid-19 patients there.
The ministry has also expanded its initial cooperation with Tuanku Mizan Military Hospital in Wangsa Maju to treat Categories 3 and 4 patients.
“The joint task force’s operations will be necessary for the next 45 to 60 days, until hopefully more than 50% of the population is vaccinated and case numbers, especially those coming in under Category 3, begin to dwindle.”
Optimistically, the source added, the government will be able to vaccinate two million people a week within two months’ time, at the rate of approximately 400,000 vaccinations per day, and achieve herd immunity in that period.
“We are hoping to see light at the end of the tunnel between September and October,” the source added. – The Vibes, July 28, 2021
