Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas
SIBU: Sibu Hospital will receive four new ventilators next week for Covid-19 patients at the hospital.
Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said that three of the machines are from the state government and one is donated by a private company.
He said that he was informed on the matter by Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee.
Uggah said this during Facebook live session hosted by Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting yesterday.
The session was also joined by Senator Robert Lau, Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) Sibu chairman Chambai Lindong and SMC councillor Augustine Merikan.
According to Lau, the three machines cost more than RM500,000.
“The machines were supposed to come this week but due to suspension of flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu, they had to send them to Kuching.
“From Kuching they will send them by road to Sibu and will be arriving next week,” he said.
Lau said that ventilators were among the medical equipment needed by Sibu Hospital to cope with high Covid-19 cases here.
“The hospital needs few more machines on standby because the beds in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are very full and the hospital has limited ventilators.
“Dr Annuar has arranged for the ventilators to come in very soon,” he said.
He also said that the hospital was trying its best to allocate some more beds to the ICU as back-up.
“Because in Sibu, it is quite funny…I noticed from the figure…some patients are already sick with breathing difficulties when they come to the hospital.
“So they need help immediately,” he said.
On allegation that the government did not have enough money to purchase medical equipment for Sibu Hospital, he said it was not an easy process and would take time.
“It is not like you want this, you’ll get it tomorrow.
“These are medical equipment and it is not easy to source for it anywhere in the world now,” he added.
On the same matter, Uggah said that it was a total misrepresentation, malicious and pure political propaganda to accuse the government of not caring for Sibu people.
“Blaming is a very easy game. That is why the Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, took all the effort to go down to Sibu to have a dialogue with the management on Jan 30 to make sure he will provide what the hospital needs.
“That was the message. After that he went to Miri.
“We will never forget Sibu people,” he stressed.