Khairy addressing media during the news conference. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (Sept 26): Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has announced several additional health resources for Sarawak to help the state cope with the surge in Covid-19 cases.
Among the major ones, he said, will be opening the Sri Aman Hospital as soon as possible to lift some pressure off the Sarawak General Hospital.
He added that the federal government has also agreed in principle to set up a field hospital at Medan in Sibu.
“We have received request to open Sri Aman Hospital quickly. We are looking at how to accelerate the opening of Sri Aman Hospital,” he told a news conference after a meeting with Sarawak Disaster Management Committee at Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Petra Jaya here today.
Khairy said the Ministry of Health will also dispatch 42 extra health personnel to Sarawak to cope with the pandemic situation in the state.
“We wish to inform that we have sent 180 ventilators to Sarawak and 1008 oxygen cylinders will be delivered by Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) to Sarawak next week.
“We have increased the modular Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and we will have 20 more ICU beds for Sarawak, which are being prepared now. It is up to the Sarawak government to decide whether where to put the ICU beds,” he said.
Other than that, Khairy said 20 more ventilators will be delivered to Sarawak this week.
“We will send another 30 ambulances to Sarawak. (Lacking of) ambulances is a big problem so we have approved 30 more ambulances for Sarawak,” he added.
He said these were among the measures that the federal government is taking to help the state government and Sarawakians cope with the surge of Covid-19 infections.
“We carry on increasing the health capacities so that any cases, whatever the scenario is, there will be enough ICU capacity, (hospital) beds and doctors to treat Covid-19 cases in Sarawak,” he added.