PETALING JAYA: Following claims that conditions at a Klang hospital are "dismal" – with some patients allegedly not getting food – Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba says he will be making an unscheduled visit there with Charles Santiago.
Santiago (PH-Klang) had raised the issue of limited resources at Covid-19 hospitals in the Klang Valley, including the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) in Klang, to the attention of Dr Adham and suggested that they be given an emergency allocation of RM20mil each.
"This is because there is a lack of ambulances, equipment, medicine, extension of new ICUs, appointment of new doctors and more," said Santiago in Parliament on Tuesday (July 27).
Santiago also said he had seen tweets about the situation at HTAR.
One of the tweets, he said was from a family member of a patient under quarantine at the hospital, who claimed that dinner was not served to patients at his zone on Monday (July 26) night.
He claimed he had just seen another tweet which made a similar claim.
"This shows there is a serious lack of funds at HTAR. You have to give the money urgently," said Santiago.
Dr Adham replied that the Health Ministry would be assessing each of the hospitals' need for extra allocations and added that he had visited HTAR recently.
"I went there two weeks ago and we also did repurposing of emergency department for Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients.
"But I will go there again – maybe I will go there with you," said Dr Adham, referring to Santiago, who replied: "That would be very nice."
However, Santiago pointed out that when Dr Adham and Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin visited HTAR, everything looked orderly but as soon as they left, lines of Covid-19 patients waiting to be admitted began to build up again.
To this, Dr Adham replied: "We won't tell them before we go."
Dr Adham also told Parliament that the field hospital in Labuan will be closed and set up in Melaka, which is facing an outbreak of Covid-19 cases.
He said that Labuan, which has seen a drop in infections following high vaccination rates, no longer needed the field hospital.
"In Melaka, we have already set up 10 modular intensive care units (ICU) and they are in operation, I paid a visit there last weekend," said Dr Adham (BN-Tenggara) in a reply to Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka). - Star
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