TMJ wants non-Covid patients moved to private hospitals in stages

JOHOR BAHRU: Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has instructed that Covid-19 management in the state be improved with the outsourcing of non-Covid-19 patients to private hospitals in stages to ease the burden of the public health system.

In a Facebook posting today, Tunku Ismail said that non-Covid-19 patients from Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) will be transferred to the Columbia Asia Hospital, while patients from Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) will be moved to KPJ Specialist Hospital.

“Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad has also announced the addition of beds in the HSI Covid-19 ward and tent facilities in front of the hospital’s Emergency and Trauma Department (HSI) will also be improved,“ Tunku Ismail said.

Tunku Ismail said the move was taken following a meeting with Hasni, Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan, Johor State Health Director Datuk Dr Aman Rabu and infectious disease experts Prof Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman and Dr Dhesi Baha Raja here today.

This was after a viral Facebook post in which the account owner claimed that HSI lacked the capacity to accommodate Covid-19 patients to the extent that patients had to be placed in tents and were sleeping on chairs.

Meanwhile, Tunku Ismail said a new initiative, the Covid-19 Advocacy Leaders Initiative (IPA-C) would be implemented in collaboration with the state government, Johor State Health Department (JKNJ) and local community leaders.

“The objective of this initiative is to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by prioritising the concept of collective responsibility in mobilising and empowering communities.

“In addition, it aims to strengthen the concept of risk communication which is effective in increasing the level of public awareness and to strengthen the monitoring efforts on standard operating procedure compliance,” Tunku Ismail added.

Tunku Ismail also said that the vaccination process should be accelerated and constantly monitored by agencies and the authorities so that it can be carried out well, quickly, safely and without having to burden vaccine recipients.

“Apart from speeding up the vaccination process, we also need to focus on Covid-19 patients so that they get the best possible intensive care,” he said.

Johor reported 1,508 new cases today, bringing the total number of Covid-19 infections in the state to 110,845 with 1,347 deaths. — Bernama