GEORGE TOWN: Penang can expect another two to three weeks of critical period while waiting for the full effects of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) in its fight against Covid-19.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Covid-19 situation in the state was worrying due to the surge in daily infection.
"We are certain that with high vaccination rate in the next three to four weeks, where many will be fully vaccinated, we can see a drop in important (health) indicators such as hospital admissions, use of intensive care unit (ICU) beds and deaths due to Covid-19.
"However, when we look at our projection, we still have two to three weeks of critical period while we wait for the full effects of the vaccination.
"While waiting for the full effects of the vaccination in Penang, we hope this will buy us some time to reduce the burden on the public healthcare system," he told a joint press conference with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in Komtar today.
Khairy said following the worrying situation, he decided to visit Penang with the top management of the ministry today to discuss with the state government on strategies to bring down the number of infection as soon as possible.
Penang has been seeing a consistent four digit daily Covid-19 cases in recent weeks. This week, the state saw a record 47 deaths in a single day, the highest since the pandemic struck in March last year.
Elaborating on the strategies, Khairy said the most important was the vaccination as it was the best form of defence against Covid-19.
"We have been told that 100 per cent of the adult population will be fully vaccinated by Oct 31. For now, there is mop up efforts to identify those who have yet to receive even a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to encourage them to get vaccinated.
"There are about 10 per cent of them out there. We have rolled out several measures such as mobile outreach initiative, house-to-house visits and roping in elected representatives to help out.
"For that, we have opened up 10 vaccination centres (PPV) for walk-in vaccination since Wednesday. Within three days, we recorded 5,507 who walked in for vaccination.
"We will decide soon on vaccination for non-citizens. For that, we will also identify PPVs, just like in the Klang Valley, to facilitate vaccination for non-citizens," he said, adding that they would also have communication campaigns to encourage the non-citizens to get vaccinated.
Khairy said vaccination for teens in Penang would begin in the next two weeks, or the fourth week of September.
He added that this would be done in the respective schools, in the presence of the teens and their parents.
id
"There are about 130,000 teens in the state, who are likely to be vaccinated. As for the other states, we will make the necessary announcements soon," he said.
Khairy said other measures include increasing the capacity of the existing Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC).
"We will encourage more people, including those in Category 1 and 2, to go to the PKRC, aside from those in the high risk group. Alternatively, we will also support and facilitate private PKRC by the private sectors," he added.
Khairy said discussions with private hospitals would also take place to increase their patient capacity, not only for non Covid-19 patients but also for Covid-19 patients.
He said the ministry would ask for an additional 1,000 beds for Covid-19 patients from the present 300 beds.
"Covid-19 beds in private hospitals have reached 87 per cent while ICU at 117 per cent. So we will ask the hospitals to increase the bed capacity.
"We are currently at engagement level, but I want the private hospitals to know that if they are not forthcoming with the request, the ministry has the power to make the requisition. But I don't want it to reach that stage. We still want to talk to them," he said.
He urged general practitioners (GP) to also step forward to help in the monitoring of Covid-19 patients under home quarantine.
"Now is time for the GPs to play their part. There is some payment involved but the state can help. But if all the GPs can come forward to look after 10, 15 patients each, then we can increase monitoring of those under home quarantine and prevent Bought In Dead (BID) cases and worsening symptoms in patients.
"I have also approved 10 modular beds at the ICU Field Hospital in Hospital Kepala Batas and will visit the Penang Hospital later to look at the suitability of another ICU Field Hospital there with an additional 100 beds.
"We are also mobilising 200 additional medical officers, assistants and nurses from other states to Penang to help out due to shortage and this will be expedited," he added.