Putrajaya announces measures to ease Covid pressure on hospitals

Putrajaya today announced measures to ensure that hospitals in the Klang Valley can cope with the increase in patients in the wake of rising numbers of Covid-19 cases.

Speaking at a press conference today, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had agreed to an additional allocation of RM100 million for the outsourcing of health services in the Klang Valley.

He said measures to ease the pressure on hospitals include increasing the number of beds for facilities in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, as well as making use of three medical teaching universities – Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia – bringing the combined bed capacity in the Klang Valley to nearly 5,000.

He said the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital had also activated its Disaster Management Zone at its basement lot, in addition to increasing its capacity to deal with a surge in patients.

Meanwhile, Hospital Sungai Buloh and Hospital Ampang have been functioning as full Covid-19 hospitals since June 23, he said.

He said other hospitals remained as Covid-19 hybrid hospitals with the exception of Hospital Shah Alam which would stay a non-Covid-19 hospital.

The Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) low-risk quarantine and treatment centre in Serdang, Selangor, meanwhile will be fully utilised as a hospital, with more oxygen tanks for an additional 1,500 patients.

Emergency bed capacity will be increased from 486 to 591 beds while ICU bed capacity will be boosted from 280 to 349 in Selangor, and from 90 to 117 in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

Adham also said there were supplies of 6,891 oxygen tanks in Selangor, 53% (3,413) of which are used for Covid-19 patients.

Another 1,000 tanks will be sent to the MAEPS quarantine centre.