JOHOR BAHRU: The Health Ministry (MOH) is reviewing the ability of government facilities, including Covid-19 gazetted hospitals, to accommodate patients who are experiencing a sudden increase in symptoms.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said that at the same time, his team would reactivate more Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centres for low-risk patients nationwide.
"An example (of this) was opening the Malaysia Agricultural Expo Park, which can accommodate up to 10,000 positive patients. This is because we found patients using ventilators and beds (in Intensive Care Unit) have also increased," he said in response to a question on whether government facilities were still able to accommodate the sudden surge in Covid-19 patients in the country.
He said this at a press conference in conjunction with the handing over ceremony of Phase Two of the District Collection Centre upgrading project at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital here today.
"Thus far, the MOH facilities are still able to accommodate the increase in cases but strict methods to flatten the Covid-19 curve need to be implemented immediately," he said.
He said the frontliners, including specialist doctors, ventilator machine operators, and physicians who handle Covid-19 were working hard to face the sharp rise in cases.
"Therefore, we also need to look at their needs, as well as pay attention to the team of nurses and medical assistants who are also looking after non-Covid-19 patients," he said.
In another development, Dr Adham said the number of blood donors nationwide had decreased to 40 per cent last year, down to 500,000 people compared to 743,739 in 2019.
This decline is due to the spread of the Covid 19 pandemic, causing the public to worry about donating and receiving blood.
It is also due to the cancellation of blood donation programmes and campaigns, he said, to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) placed under the Movement Control Order.
"To ensure that the blood supply continues to meet optimal level, the community and non-governmental organisations have been asked to intensify blood donation collection activities to reach the target of 700,000 blood donors this year," he added.- Bernama