COVID-19: 31 private hospitals assisting MOH - PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) has started cooperation with 31 private hospitals to outsource treatment of some non-COVID-19 patients.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the MOH also allocated RM27 million in 2021 for that purpose.

“As of February 3, 2021, the private hospitals plan to provide 1,344 beds in the regular wards and 65 beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) wards.

"In addition, government and private laboratory facilities are also being mobilized to increase the implementation capacity of the COVID-19 screening tests.

"Currently, 68 government and private laboratories in the country have the capacity to conduct 76,805 screening tests every day," he said in the Prime Minister's Special Message on Thursday.

Muhyiddin added that the government will also further enhance the ability of government and private laboratories to conduct COVID-19 screening tests,

“The government must ensure that the health system in our country is always ready and able to accommodate the admission of COVID-19 patients who need hospital treatment.

"With the increasing trend of positive cases at the moment, the health system in our country is almost reaching breaking point.

“COVID-19 hospitals, including wards of the Intensive Care Unit, have almost reached 100 per cent capacity. This situation must be addressed immediately so that our country's health system is not paralysed," he said.