At least 10 patients have been placed on temporary canvas beds on the porch of the Emergency Department at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang, Selangor.
This came amid reports of increasing pressure on emergency departments, facing an onslaught of Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley.
Malaysiakini's visit found adult patients on the beds, wrapped in blue plastic, located in an area controlled by security guards.
The news portal was unable to approach patients there as only selected individuals and vehicles were permitted into the area.
It is learnt that these are Covid-19 patients waiting to be transferred to the low-risk treatment and quarantine centres at the Malaysian Agro Exposition Park Serdang (Maeps). The beds have been in place in that area since yesterday.
When sighted this afternoon, the patients were lying on the canvas beds in a calm manner - some masked, while others had removed their face coverings.
A hospital source told Malaysiakini that the situation at HTAR deteriorated today compared to the day before, with more than 150 Covid-19 patients waiting for beds in the Emergency Department.
Of that, about 10 were ventilated as of this morning, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It is learnt the hospital is now caring for more than 350 Covid-19 patients, many of whom are on ventilators.
Malaysiakini contacted HTAR's management to seek further information on the matter but was asked to put a request in writing. No response has been received as yet.
HTAR is one of eight public "hybrid hospitals" in Selangor providing care to both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients.
Klang Valley emergency departments in severe state
Last week, a video of HTAR's packed Emergency Department went viral on social media. The video was verified as authentic by an HTAR insider.
In the video, patients in severe conditions were either in beds or wheelchairs, awaiting treatment in the ward.
Several sources from hospitals in the Klang Valley told Malaysiakini emergency departments are facing tremendous pressure, as Covid-19 wards are at full capacity.
This means the emergency departments have to provide treatment that should otherwise be given in the wards.
In some instances, life-saving procedures had to be conducted on the floor because of the unavailability of beds in the Emergency Department, while makeshift intravenous drip stands were fashioned out of drip bottles and wooden sticks.
One of the most severely hit is Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), which accepted patients from nearby Ampang Hospital that has turned into a full-Covid-19 hospital.
HKL is also a hybrid hospital accepting Covid-19 patients.
On Sunday, the Health Ministry said HKL is experiencing a spike in Category 3 to 5 Covid-19 admissions, averaging at 60 to 70 a day, of which three require ventilation.
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said 85 percent of Covid-19 beds in the Klang Valley are in use.
To ease the pressure on Klang Valley public hospitals, the ministry is working to rope in more help from private hospitals, provide more intensive care equipment to public hospitals while mobilising more staff to severely hit areas.
A total of 7,097 new Covid-19 cases were reported nationwide today, with the Klang Valley still contributing the most number of new infections.
Selangor saw 3,119 new cases, the second consecutive day where fresh infections numbered above 3,000 for the state.
Kuala Lumpur saw a four-digit increase with 1,005 new infections. A four-digit increase was also recorded yesterday.
Klang MP Charles Santiago, who described the sight as “heart-wrenching”, called on the federal government to intervene.
“I am sending a letter to the health minister requesting an immediate increase in allocation for HTAR so that a standalone temporary facility can be built to accommodate Covid-19 patients,” he said in a statement this evening.
The DAP lawmaker also urged the government to use nearby budget hotels and public halls as an interim measure to place patients and appealed to big corporations based in Klang to support the hospital with urgent medical equipment.
“Let us come together in this hour of need,” he added. - Mkini
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