Govt spends RM18,000 to treat each critical Covid-19 patient

The estimated cost to treat a critical Covid-19 patient for 21 days in a hospital is RM18,270, said Health Minister Dr Adham Baba in a parliamentary reply.

He explained the median cost of treatment is RM870 per day for Stage Four and Stage Five Covid-19 patients. Stage Four refers to patients with lung inflammation who require oxygen support.

Stage Five refers to patients whose critical illness involves multiple organs and who may need a ventilator.

As of July 25, a total of 189 (65.2 percent) of 290 critically ill patients were deemed to have recovered from Covid-19 and were discharged, according to Adham (above).

"The outcomes of patients hospitalised are determined by their age and chronic diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney failure," he said in a reply to Dr Azman Ismail (Harapan-Kuala Kedah).

Azman had asked about the treatment protocol for Stage Four and Five of Covid-19 patients as well as the cost of treatment.

The government provides free medical services to citizens and foreigners, said Adham, adding that there is no specific protocol for providing treatment to critical Covid-19 patients but they will be treated based on their clinical status.

Stage Four and Five patients will be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) where ventilatory and non-ventilatory respiratory support, antiviral, antibiotic, and immunomodulatory treatment would be given to them, according to the minister.

Meanwhile, he said the ministry was given an allocation of RM1 billion in phases to contain Covid-19 and had spent approximately RM650 million as of July 10.

The allocation was meant for the purchase of medical and non-medical equipment, kits, drugs, and personal protective equipment (PPE), he added.

"The ministry had spent RM299.4 million to procure 186.5 million sets of PPEs for the usage of frontliners."

Besides that, he said the ministry also received 14.8 million units of PPEs donated by other countries, NGOs, and various government agencies. - Mkini