KOTA KINABALU – Sabah is set to receive additional healthcare equipment to boost its fight against the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the state.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said equipment comprising oxygen tanks and regulators will be part of a holistic intervention by the federal government to deal with an embattled state healthcare system in Sabah.
“Additional equipment will be sent to Sabah and will be brought in by the armed forces.
“There are 480 units of oxygen cylinders, 24 boxes of oxygen regulators and five boxes of Covid-19 medications.
“They will arrive in Sabah on tomorrow,” he said after attending a meeting with Sabah’s Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee at Menara Kinabalu, here, today.
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor, Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, Community Development and People’s Welfare Minister Shahelmey Yahya, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and Sabah Health Director Dr Rose Nani Mudin.
Khairy said the state has planned over 130 outreach programmes for September and October involving mobile vaccination drives in an effort for the people in the state to achieve its herd immunity target.
With 2.89 million doses of vaccines set to be delivered this month, Khairy said, the state will be able to achieve herd immunity by the end of next month.
“With this, we will be able to inoculate between 60,000 and 70,000 people every day.
“At this rate, 60% of the adult population can be fully vaccinated by the end the month and 80% by the end of October," he said.
At present, Sabah has a total of 224 vaccination centres statewide with the capacity of administering 83,140 vaccines per day.
Khairy said Sabah will be able to start inoculating the adolescent population once 80% of its adult population achieves full vaccination by the end next month.
“This will start with those aged between 16 to 17 years old,” he said.
The Health Ministry, he said, will prepare modular ICUs, with the capacity of 10 beds, which are already operational at the Tawau Hospital.
“The site of a field hospital is also being identified at the east coast district,” he said, adding that the ministry is procuring an additional 29 ambulances that will be made available for all hospitals in Sabah.
In the meantime, he said, the Health Ministry will be increasing its fleet of ambulances via short term lease while the procurement process for the 27 ambulances will be ongoing.
“A total of 97 from 150 newly appointed medical officers have reported for duty in Sabah between August 20 and September 1, while 50 contract medical officers will be absorbed as permanent staff and the remaining will be filled with housemen to assist in the fight against covid-19 in Sabah.
“Additionally, 78 medical assistants which had been mobilised to Selangor from Sabah recently will be told to return to the state to assist the medical staff.
“Most of them will report to Sabah by the end of the week,” he said.
Khairy said the capacity of the Sabah ICUs has reached 90% at present while the capacity for the usage of ventilators stands at 46%.
“I will discuss with the state Health Department to ensure the capacity of the ICU and oxygen for Sabah will be sufficient so the state will not face any issues,” he said.
Sabah has 27 dedicated hospitals handling Covid-19 patients with the capacity of 151 beds in ICUs, 1,743 beds in hospital wards, 31 in low-risk quarantine centres and four in detention centres.
Khairy said Sabah will be prioritised for the next batch of CanSino vaccines this month and next month, adding that 300,000 doses are set to arrive in the country.
“The global supply of vaccines is currently running short. But I assure you, Sabah will be given the supplies once it arrives,” he said. – The Vibes, September 6, 2021.
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