KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) needs at least 13 more portable ventilators for the increasing number of patients in its Neurology Department.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the present 16 ventilators were insufficient for the number of patients which could be as high as 150 at any one time.
“I will discuss this matter at the ministry level to see how many we can provide because the cost of each portable ventilator is high, about RM100,000, and the centre needs about 13,” he told reporters after presenting Aidilfitri gifts to 150 patients at HKL’s Neurology Department, here, yesterday.
Dr Hilmi urged private companies and non-governmental organisations to help pay for the purchase of ventilators for the department which has been operating for 40 years.
He said he would discuss with the Inland Revenue Department to give tax exemption for the purchase of these ventilators to encourage the public to assist.
“Some people have come forward to provide the portable ventilators, but with the condition that there is tax exemption for it. I will discuss with the IRD if it is possible to give this exemption,” he said.
On a separate development, he said the number of dengue cases continued to rise with 60,713 cases reported from January till July 7 compared to 45,484 for the same period last year, an increase of 33.5 per cent (15,229 cases).
During the same period too, the number of deaths due to dengue was 168, compared to 87 during the same period last year, an increase of 93 per cent (81 deaths).
Selangor still recorded the highest number of dengue cases, with 34,650 and 86 deaths, followed by Perak (5,932), Johor (5,140) and Penang (2,865).
As such, Dr Hilmi advised the public who are returning to their hometowns during Aidilfitri for more than a week to ensure that all water containers in their homes were emptied to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. — Bernama