By Olivia Miwil - September 3, 2021 @ 4:35pm
KOTA KINABALU: Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is scheduled to visit Sabah on Monday.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who would meet the newly minted minister, said the two of them will discuss the state's health issues.
"One of the issues high on the agenda is congestion at hospitals due to the huge number of Covid-19 patients compared to the available beds," he said in a statement.
Yesterday, the Health Ministry was quoted as saying that Sabah hospitals had exceeded its full bed capacity by 126 per cent or 145 beds at the intensive care units.
The opposition had also called on the government to procure medical equipment particularly oxygen and ventilators; direct-deal vaccines supply, and deploy medical experts to handle pandemic situations in Sabah.
On the special motion to enact a new health legislation, Hajiji said it would be up to the State Assembly Speaker to accept the motion.
He said this in response to the special motion submitted by Kadamaian Assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedict and his Luyang counterpart, Ginger Phoong for the State Assembly to discuss the enactment of a new law on prevention and control of diseases.
According to them, it would pave the way for the Sabah government to be empowered in making key decisions to support the state healthcare system amid the Covid-19 pandemic without relying heavily on the Federal government.
Hajiji, who is Chairman of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), said: "We will look at what is best for Sabah.
"We have no problem to discuss and implement what is necessary and good for the rakyat of Sabah," he said when met after the launch of the Sky Bridge project here on Friday.
On suggestions that the government should consider using field hospitals, the chief minister said the state government would welcome any form of efforts including accessing facilities belonging to the military.
Today, Sabah recorded 2,404 Covid-19 cases with 14 patients listed in Category 3 (having pneumonia and require observation by healthcare staff), seven in Category 4 (require oxygen), and 11 in Category 5 (critical condition and need ventilator support).
Out of today's cases, 27 of them are babies under one-year-old, 183 aged between 1 and 5, and 455 between 6 and 17.
On the current flood situation due to heavy downpour at various districts, Hajiji said all district disaster management committees headed by the respective district officers had been activated to manage the situation.
Comments
Post a Comment