GEORGE TOWN: With Penang recording the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country by population, the chief minister is seeking Putrajaya’s urgent help, for more medical staff to help government hospitals currently at full capacity.
At an incidence rate of 95.5 cases per 100,000 population (seven-day average) as of yesterday, the state overtook Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah, according to health ministry data.
Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said government hospitals here have been focused on serious, near-death Covid-19 cases, forcing them to turn away those suffering from lesser effects of the virus.
He said that while there were many who donated beds, oxygen concentrators and medical equipment, there was a lack of doctors, specialists and nurses to treat patients.
Chow said the new health minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, should arrange for more healthcare staff from less affected states to be assigned to Penang’s government hospitals, while ordering private hospitals here to set aside 30% of their beds for Covid-19 cases.
He said that an urgent decanting of patients from government hospitals to private ones was needed. He said hotels have also been urged to convert their rooms into low-risk quarantine centres.
There are currently 70 ICU (intensive care unit) beds in the state and 876 non-critical beds, which are all occupied to treat Covid-19 patients in government hospitals.
“The rise in the number of cases in the past two weeks has placed the biggest stress on our healthcare system. Hospitals are now focused on cutting down deaths so as to save the healthcare system from collapsing.
“When there was a spike in cases in the greater Klang Valley, Penang sent staff down to help.
“The health ministry should now send more to the north, especially to Kedah, Penang and Perak,” he told a press conference in Komtar today.
Chow also dismissed speculation that the statewide mass screening over the past two months had contributed to the number, saying it contributed less than a quarter of the numbers, which went to above 2,000 recently.
He also urged more vaccines to be sent to Penang, so full vaccination of adults can be achieved by the end of October, given the current trickle in vaccine supply to the state.
At the same conference, Penang health deputy director (public health) Dr Rafidah Md Noor said those with no symptoms or mild symptoms such as flu have been told to remain at home until further instructions from the health department.
She said hospitals in the state will only take more serious cases now.
In a separate statement, new Penang health director Dr Ma’arof Sudin said with the rise of cases in categories three, four and five in the state, more beds were needed, and hence regular hospitals were being turned into Covid-19-only hospitals.
He said those with symptoms can call 04-382 7142 or 04-382 7143.
Penang now has 9,333 active cases with 565 deaths. Its highest daily number was on Aug 28 with 2,078 cases, with cases above 1,000 recorded daily from early August.
Ma’arof said there are 1,646 patients at low-risk Covid-19 centres or PKRCs, while 7,687 are under home surveillance. He said most of the cases were sporadic at 38.7%, close contact was 36.5% while 24.8% were from clusters.
Source: Free Malaysia Today