Tzu Chi Miri volunteers unpack some of the 200 multi-purpose foldable beds.
MIRI: Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Miri branch has procured 200 multi-purpose foldable beds from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in response to shortage of beds in Miri Hospital after a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Tzu Chi’s foldable bed has gained international acclaim.
Its Riam branch’s volunteer Ling Tau Yee said in a press statement on Saturday that 35 foldable beds were sent to Petronas Sports Village low risk treatment and quarantine centre at Jalan Datuk Tuah Johari here.
“The remaining 165 beds are in our storage for Miri Hospital use when needed,” he said, adding that a timely phone call from the hospital management helped get these temporary foldable beds.
The multi-purpose foldable bed was invented after a 2010 devastating flood in Pakistan inspired Tzu Chi volunteers to create a portable bed for victims of poverty and natural disasters.
It has since won several awards at 44th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva in 2016 and has been distributed to Haiti, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Pakistan as an essential part of Tzu Chi Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid.
Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong thanked Tzu Chi local volunteers for their quick action in getting the foldable beds to help the hospital reaching its capacity with the recent surge in Covid-19 positive cases.
“About 80 per cent are low risk cases who do not necessarily need to be quarantined in the hospital. They are quarantined at a designated place to prevent coming into close contact with other people.
“Currently, we are still looking for another suitable place as low-risk treatment centre,” said Dr Wong.