KUALA LUMPUR:A total of 475 medical and public health personnel of various categories and service schemes have been deployed to several districts in Sabah as of today, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the Ministry of Health (MoH) has mobilised the relief teams to Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna, and Kota Kinabalu to deal with the spread of COVID-19 infections and mobilisation had taken place in stages since cases started increasing there.

He said the assessment of human resource needs would be conducted continuously to help control COVID-19 transmissions in Sabah as well as to ensure the continuity of health services in the affected districts.

"The welfare of all health and medical personnel, an important asset to the MoH, will continue to be given priority to ensure that they are able to carry out their duties well.

"Thank you to all health and medical personnel as well as all the volunteers who have come together to fight COVID-19 in Malaysia," he said in an online media conference via MoH's Facebook today.

Dr Noor Hisham also called for more medical and health volunteers to come forward to assist the ministry in dealing with the third wave of COVID-19.

On the government's plan to activate the Malaysian Armed Forces Field (ATM) Hospital in Tawau to treat cases other than COVID-19, Dr Noor Hisham said the hospital would provide obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and general surgery services.

"This will give more room to Tawau Hospital to treat cases that require intensive care (categories 3-5) including those referred from nearby districts particularly Semporna," he said, adding that cases under category 1 and 2 (no symptoms and mild symptoms) will continue to be placed in the COVID-19 Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre.

He said the ministry's initial plan would be to place 100 beds in the hospital, adding that assessment on the capacity and the need for other facilities would be conducted from time to time.

-- BERNAMA