SHAH ALAM, Nov 18 — The increase of cases in Intensive Care Units (ICU) at Sungai Buloh Hospital is due to its status as a facility wholly dedicated to Covid-19 cases, and as such it is a reference point for all medical centres in Selangor and Klang Valley.
State Health Director Datuk Dr Sha’ri Ngadiman said the hospital is also accepting cases from other hospitals elsewhere, so they can be freed up to accomodate more non-Covid 19 cases.
“As of 8am today, the number of ICU beds in Sungai Buloh Hospital stands at 54, with a 96 per cent usage,” he said in a statement.
Dr Sha’ri also referred to a news report on Tuesday (November 16) which cited a medical officer warning of a new Covid-19 wave by next month.
The report was based on Sungai Buloh Hospital’s Dr Azfar Kamal, who predicted on Twitter of a jump in cases within the next two weeks.
Dr Sha’ri explained that several prepatory steps to face the increase in Covid-19 cases have been taken, such as improving the oxygen gas system at the National Leprosy Control Centre.
He added the hospital is also supported by other medical centres in Klang Valley, in case there is need to support an increase in Covid-19 cases.
The past two weeks has seen 1,300 to 1,500 daily cases reported in the state, with Dr Sha’ri saying that 1.5 to two per cent of these cases fall under the Categories Three, Four, and Five.
“As for the hospital bed usage situation in Selangor, non-critical beds for Covid-19 patients stand at 1,286 with a 92 per cent usage, while the number of ICU beds and reused ICU beds (for both Covid-19 cases and otherwise) is at 203, with an 80 per cent usage.
“It should be noted that ICUs in hybrid and non-Covid 19 hospitals are filled with non-pandemic patients. The number of Covid-19 patients confirmed and suspected in the units are 86 cases, or 42 per cent of the ICU capacity in Selangor. The remainder are non-Covid 19 cases,” he said.
Asides from Hospital Sungai Buloh which is fully Covid-19, hybrid hospitals include Tengku Ampung Rahimah Hospital in Klang, Selayang Hospital, Serdang Hospital, dan Ampang Hospital.
Non-Covid-19 hospitals include Shah Alam Hospital and all district hospitals in Selangor, except for Emergency Departments which retain their hybrid status and still receive Covid-19 cases.
