COVID-19: Enough beds to treat patients - Masidi

Masidi, who is also the state’s official spokesperson for COVID-19 said that a total of nine hospitals in the state have been designated to treat high-risk patients, while 35 temporary treatment centres such as public halls were renovated to treat low-risk individuals.

However, he said, currently the state government does not have statistics on the breakdown of the number of beds in the hospitals and treatment centres.

“We have enough beds to treat patients in Sabah. We are also in the process of adding two more COVID-19 treatment centres to treat low-risk patients. Once completed in the near future, we expect to add another 350 beds,” he said at a press conference here, tonight.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today said that Sabah continued to record the highest number of daily COVID-19 positive cases at 546, out of a total of 801 cases reported nationwide.

Masidi said that there was high demand for beds in hospitals and COVID-19 treatment centres on the east coast of Sabah due to the high number of cases there, and more treatment centres will be set up to meet these needs.

He said that healthcare personnel from the Peninsula have also adapted to the COVID-19 situation in Sabah, and have made a significant contribution to assisting the existing staff in providing the best service to patients.

Meanwhile, Masidi said that the state government, having listened to the people’s grievances about the food basket aid programme, in principle agreed to extend the assistance to people who were not involved in the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) and were ordered to undergo quarantine.

“Chief Minister (Datuk Hajiji Noor) will make a detailed announcement in the near future. We also welcome assistance from all parties, especially for supplies of dry food due to easier distribution processes,” he said, adding that people should apply for the programme at their respective district offices a day before the distribution date.

Bernama today reported that people’s feedback is needed by the state government to improve the food basket aid programme in an effort to ensure that it reaches the targeted recipients in a more comprehensive manner.