KUALA LUMPUR – Contrary to certain beliefs, the Covid-19 pandemic has not caused an increase in non-Covid-19-related deaths, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that based on statistics, there has been no increase in the average number of deaths per month for non-Covid-19 patients since before the pandemic.
There have been concerns that the public health system’s focus on the pandemic has forced non-Covid-19 patients to face longer waiting times, causing some to miss their medical appointments and subsequently increasing the number of mortalities.
In May last year, a modelling study by a group of surgeons and anaesthetists from various countries found that 151,717 surgeries in Malaysia had been postponed in the 12 weeks beginning March, with a cancellation rate of about 70.9%.
Globally, the group CovidSurg Collaborative projected that over 28 million elective surgeries could be cancelled or postponed throughout the year, raising fear for the lives of those affected.
Local health experts had acknowledged an increased backlog in elective surgeries in hospitals nationwide as a result of the first movement control order.
In July this year, former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye warned that the suspension of outpatient services in a number of hospitals, due to the spike in Covid-19 cases, could cause a rise in non-Covid-19-related deaths.
In a parliamentary written reply, Khairy pointed out that the total deaths involving non-Covid-19 patients in 2019 stood at 62,258, followed by 56,988 last year and 31,086 from January to August this year.
This translates to 5,188 average deaths each month in 2019, 4,749 last year, and 3,886 so far this year.
“Based on this statistic, there has been no increase in mortalities of non-Covid-19 patients in Health Ministry hospitals from 2019 to August this year.
“However, there have been ‘deaths by Covid-19’ involving individuals with comorbidities,” he said.
He was responding to a question from Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (Bandar Kuching-PH) on the government’s preparation to face an increase of cases and deaths of non-Covid-19 patients, and its projection in terms of numbers.
Khairy said that while the country is facing the pandemic, the Health Ministry has not stopped providing services to other patients, especially for emergency cases.
To ensure non-Covid-19 patients are also given treatment, he said, the ministry has undertaken a number of measures.
These include extending the hours of operation theatres and specialist clinics in certain hospitals, optimising the use of non-specialist and military hospitals for certain medical procedures, and mobilising medical specialists from public and private hospitals to facilities without such expertise.
In addition, Khairy said, the ministry has also outsourced certain services to private hospitals, and introduced online services such as virtual clinics. – The Vibes, September 17, 2021
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