Klang Valley Private Hospitals Reach Full Covid-19 Capacity

Private hospitals’ Covid-19 wards and ICU beds for coronavirus cases are now completely filled, says the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — Most private hospitals, particularly in the Klang Valley, can no longer accept any more Covid-19 patients after reaching full bed occupancy, the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) said today.

APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh said a steep increase of Covid-19 patients in the past 14 days has occupied all designated beds in private hospitals’ Covid-19 wards, while isolated intensive care unit (ICU) beds designated for critical coronavirus cases are constantly being filled up.

“Private hospitals are constrained on the number of beds and ICU facilities that can accommodate Covid-19 patient and the availability of specialists and nurses which further compounds the restriction,” Dr Kuljit said in a statement.

“We understand the government facilities in the Klang Valley and maybe in Johor are fast filling up with the current increased number of patients.

“The biggest fear would be if we face a health care shutdown because of non-availability of beds and oxygen treatment for our citizens.”

Dr Kuljit said private hospitals in Malaysia have treated a few thousand Covid-19 patients to date, after admitting them since last January when the government requested assistance from private health care providers to manage the epidemic.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported yesterday 3,000 new Covid-19 cases, the highest since February 24. Malaysia reported an average of 2,655 cases a day in the week of April 20 to 26, exceeding the daily 2,487 average in the week of January 5 to 11 before the nation’s second Movement Control Order (MCO) came into effect.

Kelantan and Sarawak have been hit particularly hard by the surge of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks.

Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said yesterday that Kelantan hospitals have already reached or exceeded bed capacity for Covid-19 patients, forcing moderate cases to step down hospital care to low-risk quarantine and treatment centres.

In Sarawak, the bed occupancy rate in the state’s Covid-19 ICUs has reached 77.5 per cent, with 62 patients in 80 beds. Sibu bears the brunt of the state’s coronavirus outbreak, with Sibu Hospital now running at overcapacity in its Covid-19 ICU.

Selangor continues to report among the country’s highest daily new coronavirus infections. Yesterday, the country’s most developed state recorded 1,019 new Covid-19 cases, the highest since February 20.

You may also like