ALOR SETAR: Chronic patients who are considered to have no hope of recovery will no longer be placed in the Intensive Care Units (ICU) at hospitals in the state due to the current limited number of beds.
Kedah Health and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman said while the number of ICU beds were adequate, the authorities were now worried what if they are unable to admit other critical patients into the ICUs as it is currently occupied by Covid-19 patients.
He said medical officers on duties were forced to make a tough assessment between choosing whether to admit a critical patient or a Covid-19 patient into the ICUs.
"I feel guilty (serba salah) but I feel this has to be said. Some doctors have no choice but to choose which patient needs to be admitted to the ICU. If the patient's medical condition is too chronic and has no hope of (recovery), we will not admit him or her to the ICU.
"This includes non Covid-19 cases. The doctors will have a thorough and hard assessment for some cases. However, we will try our best to treat all of them until they have recovered and are in stable condition," he told Berita Harian today.
He said this when asked on the preparation of hospitals in the state in facing the surge of Covid-19 cases.
Kedah recorded its highest number of cases so far with 455 yesterday amid reports of ICU wards reaching 92 per cent capacity.
Dr Mohd Hayati also asked the people to continue adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures to avert the Covid-19 transmission and to stay at home if there were no urgent matters.
"We must remember that the hospital not only treats Covid-19 patients but also those who are suffering from diabetes and other illnesses that need treatment and surgery. There are also patients who must be treated at the ICU first after their surgery," he added.
Separately, state health director Dr Mohd Fikri Ujang said to date, 44 patients were still being treated in the ICU, of which 20 required breathing assistance.
"There are 11 patients warded at the ICU in Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani while the rest are at the ICUs in Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital and Sultanah Bahiyah 2 Hospital.
"Only three of them are below the age of 50," he added.
Dr Mohd Fikri added that the enforcement of the Enhanced Movement Control Order in Kota Setar and nine localities in Bandar Darulaman as well as Lubuk Kawah in Jitra will pave the way for a detailed close contact tracing on the cases involved.
"Screenings will be conducted on the targeted group which may be high risk and potentially transmit the Covid-19 infection. The number of those who are screened depends on the close contact tracing which is being done now.
"In Kota Setar, most of the Covid-19 cases are linked from one sub-district to another. However, we will equally focus on all sub-districts, some of which have turned into red zones," he said.