PUTRAJAYA:Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has refuted allegations that the health system in Sabah was collapsing due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state.
He said finance had never been an issue in tackling the outbreak as the Finance Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) had approved several allocations, including the emergency procurement for Sabah.
“The public is assuming that we are not implementing a good health system or it seems to collapse, but it is not true.
“In terms of hospital capacity (in Sabah), the use of beds is only 52 per cent and the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) has 128 beds with usage at 60 per cent. We also have 26 quarantine and low-risk treatment centres for level one and two cases.
"Right now, we are considering level three patients who are stable and have no risk to get treatment at the quarantine centres. We are also looking at creating six more quarantine and low-risk treatment centres if there is a need," he said at a press conference on the developments of COVID-19 at the MOH, here, today.
A news portal reported that the health system in Sabah was still lagging behind in terms of infrastructure and lacked specialists while the medical equipment needed to be improved, especially in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
Dr Noor Hisham, however, explained that the RM30 million emergency allocation for Sabah had also been channelled to the state.
He also refuted a report yesterday claiming that there were only nine hospitals in Sabah. “That is not true as we have 24 hospitals in Sabah with a public health laboratory in Kota Kinabalu.
"We are using 24 hospitals and the addition of the recently-opened (Malaysian Armed Forces) Field Hospital in Tawau. All the 25 hospitals are functioning well and we do not lack beds and equipment such as ventilators and so on," he said.
Asked on COVID-19 patients in Sabah to receive treatment at home, Dr Noor Hisham said the idea was being considered in case of bed shortage at hospitals or the quarantine centres, and it was not a policy yet.
Dr Noor Hisham said there was a delay in getting the results, however, this had been resolved as the MOH had sent 200,000 RTK-Antigen (RTK-Ag) rapid test kits to Sabah.
He reiterated that the health system in Sabah was not collapsing but admitted that the situation was more difficult and challenging.
"However, we are more prepared this time than we were in March in terms of human resources, facilities and personal protective equipment (PPE)," he said.
Dr Noor Hisham said coordination in Sabah should be enhanced further to win the war against COVID-19, adding that there were positive signs in the east coast of Sabah and the focus now was on the west coast, namely Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Putatan.
"We think that in four weeks, we should be able to contain the infection," he added.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Mon Oct 26 2020
Dr Noor Hisham has refuted allegations that the health system in Sabah was collapsing. - Bernama
'Terdapat ramalan tahun ini paling panas selepas 1998' - Nik Nazmi
Cuaca panas susulan fenomena El Nino yang melanda negara ketika ini dijangka berterusan sehingga Julai depan, kata Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Keputusan laporan interim nahas helikopter TLDM minggu depan
Laporan interim nahas dua helikopter Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) yang mengorbankan 10 pegawai dan anggotanya pada 23 April lepas dijangka siap minggu depan.
Kerajaan Joe Biden digesa bertindak segera
57 anggota Dewan Perwakilan Amerika Syarikat Parti Demokrat menandatangani surat bagi menggesa kerajaan pimpinan Joe Biden menghentikan serangan Israel di Rafah.
Jakim buka talian khas terima aduan hina Islam
Jakim telah mewujudkan talian khas 24 jam sebagai platform untuk menyalurkan aduan berkaitan isu penghinaan terhadap agama Islam.
PM yakin kenaikan gaji lulus bergaya di Parlimen
Perdana Menteri turut membidas pihak terbabit sebagai 'haprak' dan tidak boleh diterima kerana mengkritik usaha kerajaan untuk menaikkan gaji penjawat awam selepas 12 tahun ia tidak dilaksanakan.
PM arah agensi MCBA jalan tugas serta-merta
Perdana Menteri berkata, semua jabatan dan kementerian berkaitan perlu meletakkan pegawai masing-masing walaupun rang undang-undang (RUU) berkaitan dijangka dibentangkan di Parlimen pada Julai depan.
Papagomo mengaku tidak bersalah, hasut kebencian Agong
Blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris atau Papagomo mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen pada Khamis.
Ia atas pertuduhan menghasut yang mendatangkan kebencian terhadap Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim.
Ia atas pertuduhan menghasut yang mendatangkan kebencian terhadap Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim.
Laporan interim nahas helikopter TLDM siap minggu depan
Laporan interim nahas dua helikopter Tentera Luat Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) terhempas di Lumur, Perak yang mengorbankan 10 pegawai dan anggotanya pada 23 April lalu dijangka siap minggu depan.
[TERKINI] Cuaca panas luar biasa dijangka berlarutan hingga Julai
Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelesterian Alam, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad memaklumkan, cuaca panas luar biasa yang melanda negara terutama di Kelantan, Perlis dan Kedah ketika ini dijangka berlarutan selama dua bulan lagi.
PM arah Agensi Pintu Masuk dan Sempadan Malaysia jalan tugas serta-merta
Anwar berkata semua jabatan tanpa kecuali harus menerima arahan dengan serius dalam memastikan keselamatan di sempadan negara, sekali gus mengekang kegiatan penyeludupan.
Program Jana Wibawa dilaksana selepas dapat persetujuan Jemaah Menteri - Saksi
Mahkamah Sesyen di sini hari ini diberitahu bahawa cadangan mengenai Jana Wibawa telah dibawa ke mesyuarat untuk pertimbangan sebelum Jemaah Menteri memutuskan supaya program itu diteruskan pada 2020.
Kelaparan akut jejaskan 281.6 juta orang tahun lepas - PBB
Tahap bahaya kelaparan akut menjejaskan 281.6 juta orang tahun lepas, tahun kelima berturut-turut bahawa ketakjaminan makanan semakin memburuk.
Hamilton optimis kedudukan lebih baik di GP China
Lewis Hamilton melihat potensi kedudukan yang lebih baik dalam saingan Grand Prix yang kembali ke China buat pertama kali dalam tempoh lima tahun, hujung minggu ini.
'Selfish!' - Fasha Sandha sedih raya di Perlis tak jadi gara-gara dijangkiti COVID-19
Fasha berkata dia mula melakukan pemeriksaan COVID-19 selepas berasa tidak sihat badan dan mengalami bersin tidak henti sejak Raya pertama.
Kes COVID-19 catat penurunan ketara pada ME 14/2024 - KKM
Jumlah kes COVID-19 menurun 97.1 peratus kepada 493 kes pada Minggu Epidemiologi ke-14 (ME 14/2024) iaitu bagi tempoh 31 Mac hingga 6 April lepas berbanding 17,256 kes pada ME 1/2024.
China jadikan pengalaman pencegahan COVID-19 untuk hadapi pandemik masa depan
China akan menjadikan pengalaman dalam pencegahan dan kawalan COVID-19 untuk membuat persediaan yang lebih proaktif untuk menghadapi pandemik masa depan seperti "Penyakit X".
Negara berdepan ketirisan subsidi diesel serius - Amir Hamzah
Negara kini sedang berdepan isu ketirisan subsidi diesel yang serius dan wujud kemungkinan terdapat pihak yang tidak layak masih menikmati subsidi itu, kata Menteri Kewangan II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah.
Kematian akibat kemalangan jalan raya lebih tinggi daripada COVID-19 - Anthony Loke
PDRM akan mengeluarkan data mengenai kemalangan jalan raya pada setiap hari, bukan setahun sekali seperti diamalkan sebelum ini.
Ismail Sabri ziarah lapan beradik yatim piatu akibat COVID-19
Ismail Sabri tiba kira-kira jam 2 petang di kediaman lapan beradik itu di Taman Adenium, Bukit Beruntung pada Selasa.
Teori konspirasi 'Penyakit X'
Ahli teori konspirasi AS sekali lagi membuat 'keuntungan' selepas PBB memberi amaran tentang wabak lebih berbahaya iaitu 'Penyakit X'.