COVID-19: Over 16,000 beds used to treat patients nationwide

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there were 44 Ministry of Health’s (MOH) hospitals and two teaching hospitals providing treatment for COVID-19 which had 3,825 beds with a utilisation rate of of 54 per cent.

‘’MOH also provides an additional 12,235 beds at 60 PKRC which are now operating nationwide. Until to date, the rate of the usage of beds at the PKRC is 36 per cent,’’ he told a media conference on the development of COVID-19 at MOH, here, yesterday.

In Sabah, Dr Noor Hisham said nine of the 24 government hospitals statewide were being used as Hybrid COVID-19 Hospitals which provided service for COVID-19 patients and also continuing to provide other medical services.

To date, he said 1007 beds at the nine hospitals were set aside for COVID-19 patients at a usage rate of 77 per cent while the usage rate at 28 PKRC with 7,386 beds was 43 per cent.

He said 47 per cent of the 8,375 beds at hospitals and PKRC in the state were being used to treat COVID-19 patients.

He said although there was an increase in new cases every day reported, especially in Sabah, the number of cases discharged daily was also substantial.

‘’As such, the empty beds can be used for new cases. In addition, MOH always evaluate the current situation and have plans to boost the capacity of beds if required,’’ he added.