As ICU wards near capacity, ministry pleads for SOP compliance

 

Covid-19 patients in beds separated from each other only by plastic sheets. The ministry says frontliners are working very hard to care for them. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: The health ministry tonight pleaded with Malaysians to observe SOPs, saying that hospitals nationwide were nearing their maximum bed capacity for Covid-19 patients.

In a Facebook post in which it also uploaded pictures of the ICU ward in the Kajang hospital, the ministry said the situation was similar at the Ampang, Selayang and Sungai Buloh hospitals, apart from the other facilities designated to treat Covid-19 cases.

The pictures showed beds crowded against each other in ICU wards, some separated only by plastic sheets.

“This is the reality at ICU wards at the moment,” said the ministry. “It is crowded.”

The situation in the ICU wards. The wards are crammed and reaching their maximum capacity. (Facebook pic)

Despite this, the ministry said it hasn’t come to a situation where hospitals would be forced to choose who gets to be treated at the ICU.

The frontliners, it said, were staying put in the ICUs to treat those who were in critical condition.

They are continuing to work throughout the Raya festivities so they could save lives, the ministry said.

It said the frontliners were only asking for one favour from Malaysians – that they obey the rules.

“Obey the rules that have been set. Look after yourself and families. Don’t let a family member end up in the ICU ward.”

The ministry’s plea comes in the wake of the surge in the number of Covid-19 cases of late.

In the past 24 hours alone, 4,113 Covid-19 cases and 34 deaths were reported.

Yesterday, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said ICUs were at near full capacity with 641 patients warded. There are currently only 734 beds in ICU wards. - FMT