Penang seek donations for new centre as severe Covid-19 cases hit 40%

 

Contractors converting the hall of the Caring Society Complex to fit beds to treat serious Covid-19 cases. (Chief minister’s office pic)

GEORGE TOWN: With 40% of Penang’s Covid-19 patients being serious cases with breathing difficulties, the state is appealing for donations to quickly set up a Covid-19 treatment and quarantine centre (PKRC).

Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state health department has already turned the Caring Society Complex, which was previously used as a vaccination centre, into a PKRC to cope with the rising number of Category 4 and 5 patients.

He said the centre will have 97 beds offering oxygen treatment with work to convert the facility in Scotland Road beginning yesterday.

Chow said the required medical equipments are (quantities needed in brackets): resuscitation beds for critical patients (two), vital sign monitors (eight), electrocardiogram (ECG, one), ophthalmoscope otoscope diagnostic set (one), emergency trolleys (one), portable suction (one), x-ray viewing box (one), video laryngoscope (one), transport ventilators (one), manual defibrillators (one), portable suction (one), syringe pumps (20), medication cart trolley (three), water dispenser (10) and medication cabinet (one).

As for non-medical items, the state needs: camps with fans and electrical sockets (two), swab booths (two), industrial fans (10), wheelchairs (20), linen closets (two), whiteboards with wheels (four), laptop computers (10), printers (two), power extension cables (10).

Chow said those interested to donate can contact the Penang health department’s Dr Lingeshwaran R Arunasalam (012 594 4347) or Abdul Halim Abd Hamid (012 407 3200).

He said those who would like to donate cash can do so by banking into the state Covid-19 fund at 5570 5462 0930 (Maybank).

Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow holding up a placard with the bank account number of the state Covid-19 fund urging people to donate towards the setting up of the Covid-19 centre by Friday. With him is state health committee chairman Norlela Ariffin.

Cases jumped due to antigen tests, says health deputy DG

Separately, health deputy director-general (medical) Dr Asmayani Khalib said the 1,867 cases recorded today in Penang were from factories, symptomatic and sporadic cases which saw a jump.

She said the record high numbers were also caused by the adoption of antigen tests (where test results are immediate) since last week for a quick turnaround after the positivity rate shot above 10%.

The World Health Organization has set a threshold for countries to ensure that their Covid-19 positivity rate is below 5% a week.

Asmayani said the antigen tests yielded 1,257 positive cases today.

“The antigen tests allows us to quickly isolate positive cases, compared to a longer time for an Rt-PCR test to be returned,” the outgoing Penang health director said.

Seberang Perai Central district continues to be Penang’s Covid-19 major hotspot, recording 738 cases today, with most of it centred in Juru and Bukit Tengah – two highly industrialised centres on the mainland.

Kepala Batas and Butterworth continue to be hotspots in Seberang Perai North, recording 485 and 465 cases in the past two weeks. Bukit Tambun and Simpang Ampat hit 376 and 438 cases respectively in the same period.

On the island, the greater Bayan Baru area, including the Free Industrial Zone recorded the worst numbers on the island with 1,097 cases in the past two weeks, followed by Mukim 13 (Bandar Baru Air Itam, Paya Terubong and Relau) having 817 cases during the same period.

There are an overall 64,704 cases, with 8,248 active cases, 335 deaths, and a total of 15,507 cases in the past two weeks. Recoveries are at 56,121.

The state has given out 962,161 first doses or 54% of the Covid-19 vaccines to its target population of 1.3 million people as of Aug 15, while the second dose is at 506,626 or 28%. - FMT