MOH to ensure PPE delivery as Sabah hospitals down to days in supply

 

COVID-19 | Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry will ensure shipments of personal protective equipment will be made, as some hospitals in Sabah have only several days’ worth of some types of PPE.

He said the ministry does have the equipment in stock, which has been further bolstered by authorising the Sabah Health Department to make emergency procurements.

“But the second effort is to ensure we can send stocks of PPE to hospitals that have difficulties or shortages in PPE.

“So, we will ensure that PPE will be sent to all hospitals,” he said today, in response to a question from Malaysiakini.

Yesterday, Noor Hisham had said that on average, the ministry’s hospitals have two to three months’ supply for all 19 types of PPE, which covers items such as gloves, surgical masks, N95 respirators, goggles, and isolation gowns.

However, some hospitals in Sabah appear to fare worse than others.

According to figures he disclosed yesterday, Tawau Hospital only has six days’ supply of N95 respirators left as of Oct 10.

The respirators are a key piece of equipment for protecting healthcare workers working closely with Covid-19 patients, especially during certain medical procedures such as intubation. Tawau is one of the hardest-hit districts in Sabah, with 415 active Covid-19 cases as of yesterday.

Lahad Datu Hospital, meanwhile, had only one day’s supply of plastic aprons, while, the Sabah Women’s and Children’s Hospital had 10 day’s supply of jumpsuits.

This is not the first time the ministry has found itself with stocks for PPE on hand but facing logistical challenges in ensuring the equipment is delivered to where it is most needed.

Similar problems were faced in March and April, where healthcare workers made do with makeshift protective suits fashioned out of garbage bags by themselves. Volunteers had also chipped in by helping to make improvised PPE just as aprons and face shields.

Noor Hisham had said at the time that the apparent shortage was due to distribution problems.

For now, the director-general has been conducting Covid-19 briefings from his home since Oct 6 and the media are unable to pose questions to him after briefings.

Questions are to be submitted at 3pm and are vetted by the Health Ministry communications team. Malaysiakini asked two questions today but one of these questions were not selected.

The questions are as follows:

1. We understand there are NGOs who are receiving requests by hospitals for assistance to obtain critical equipment. What is the equipment that MOH urgently needs at the Covid-19 hospitals and how could sponsors, philanthropists and those wanting to help, chip in?

2. Yesterday you shared 71 percent of general ward beds and 58 percent of ICU beds in Covid-19 hospitals in Sabah are filled. Could we please have the breakdown of ICU beds used in Covid-19 hospitals in Sabah, particularly in the east coast of Sabah where frontliners say they are running out of space for new patients? - Mkini