KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Health Department (JKNS) has set up mental health psychosocial support teams in every district since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in the state.
Its director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said the teams were established to provide mental and emotional support to those affected by Covid-19 as well as to health workers in the field and hospitals.
She said all medical officers and physicians in the anesthesia unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) work in a conducive work environment and are managing well to date.
“The department heads have reminded staff to take care of each other and to inform them or their department counsellors should they have problems coping with the workload,“ she said.
She was commenting on recent media reports on the physical and mental challenges faced by health workers in the state.
JKNS would like to thank the public for their concern over our health workers welfare right now, said Dr Christina.
“However, do not get it wrong,” she said adding that things were still under control and the public should not fret over HQE services being compromised.
Meanwhile, Dr Christina also refuted claims over the article entitled “man left to die of Covid-19 after HQE sent him home” as there was no hospital bed.
She said there are two hospitals treating Covid-19 patients in Kota Kinabalu namely HQE which has 456 beds and Likas Women & Children Hospital with 117 beds.
“HQE had increased the number of beds for intensive care from 16 to 40, whereby 16 beds are in the Intensive Care Unit and 24 beds are in the Medical High Dependency Ward which has been turned into an intensive care ward,“ she said. -Bernama
