ALOR SETAR:The Kedah State Health Department (JKN) is planning to set up mobile COVID-19 Assessment Centres (CAC) to monitor patients with mobility problem or in the vulnerable group.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Kedah JKN has so far set up 11 CACs (in each district) to monitor category 1 and 2 COVID-19 patients.

He said the centres would also received patients in step-down care from COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centres (PKRC) and hospitals.

“Kedah JKN is also outlining CAC programmes to operate for 24 hours,” he said via a Facebook posting today.

He was in Kedah this morning and visited the Bandar Alor Setar Health Clinic (KKBAS), Kota Setar District Health Office and Alor Setar Hospital (HAS), to monitor the COVID-19 emergency preparedness of Kedah JKN.

During the visit, state Health director, Dr Mohd Fikri Ujang and his group also briefed about the current COVID-19 situation in the state.

Dr Noor Hisham said apart from the formation of mobile CAC, KKBAS also took the initiative to have drive-through service to facilitate COVID-19 screening by modifying the clinic route.

He said three sampling booths were also built with the cooperation of a local company to ease sampling of COVID-19 screening at the clinic.

"I also took the opportunity the inspect the facilities of HAS ward for COVID-19 patients which was used to admit a large portion of the Tembok Cluster patients before the makeshift hospital was built in the prison,” he said.

Apart from that, Dr Noor Hisham said he was also briefed and visited the HAS upgrading project site which would cover the mechanical and electrical systems, as well as civil and architectural works for the Operation Theatre Department, Endoscopy Department, post-anaesthetic care unit (PACU), CSSD and pharmacy.

He said the hospital would have six operation theatres, eight PACU beds and an endoscopy suite.

Dr Noor Hisham also recorded his appreciation of Kedah JKN, and all health personnel in the state in the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hopefully all the efforts and sacrifices such as wearing the personal protection equipment (PPE) to screen and treat COVID-19 patients would receive the blessing of God,” he said.

-- BERNAMA