Kedah records 1,556 COVID-19 deaths since January

State Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman said the highest number of deaths was recorded at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar with 504 deaths, followed by Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, Sungai Petani (497) and Kulim Hospital (335).

Other hospitals in the state recorded not more than 100 deaths, he said.

Meanwhile, he said the deaths registered last year were not as many as the deaths recorded this year.

"However, the data for 2020 is being updated by the Kedah Health Department and will be revealed once it is completed," he said when replying to a question from Datuk Zamri Yusuf (PKR-Suka Menanti).

Dr Mohd Hayati said the state government assisted the COVID-19 victim's family by managing their funeral in accordance with the guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

"The management of the remains of COVID-19 patients is handled by the Civil Defence Force (APM) with strict monitoring by the District Health Office (PKD)," he said.

He said the federal government had introduced the one-off RM5,000 special assistance to lessen the burden of Malaysians who lost their loved ones due to the virus.

Dr Mohd Hayati said the application could be made by family members and sent directly to the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) for processing.

"For children who lost their parents to COVID-19, their guardian can contact the District Social Welfare Office (PKMD) to find out more about the type of assistance available for them," he said.