MOH Is Preparing A Temporary Hospital For The Oncoming COVID-19 Tsunami In Mid-April
"It is better for us to be well-prepared than under-prepared. Under-prepared means unprepared."
By May Vin Ang — 30 Mar 2020, 04:37 PM
The Ministry of Health (MOH) is preparing the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) in Selangor to be used as a Quarantine and Treatment Centre for COVID-19 patients
According to Bernama, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the centre is a precautionary measure in the event of a drastic increase in COVID-19 patients expected in mid-April.
He said the MOH is expecting a "tsunami"of COVID-19 cases in the country due to the large number of Malaysians who went overseas during the school holidays earlier this month, reported Malaysiakini.
"It is a preparation, let us prepare for the worst," he told a press conference on Saturday, 28 March.
"It is better for us to be well-prepared than under-prepared. Under-prepared means unprepared."
The two halls at MAEPS will be turned into a 600-bed makeshift hospital for those with mild COVID-19 symptoms
"Hall A in MAEPS has the capacity to accommodate 400 beds, while Hall B could house 200 beds," said Dr Noor Hisham, as quoted by New Straits Times.
He explained that those who tested positive but were asymptomatic, or those with mild symptoms but completely no respiratory problems, would be placed in this quarantine centre.
"The hospitals will be reserved for moderate or critical cases."
This temporary hospital will add to the previously allocated 3,400 beds in hospitals nationwide set aside for COVID-19 patients
The Health director-general said that the ministry has also prepared to use all of its training institutes as quarantine centres with an additional 1,892 beds.
This brings the total number of beds in the country prepared to battle the COVID-19 pandemic to 5,892.
Dr Noor Hisham added that if it went up to 1,000 new cases a day, the ministry might consider placing patients in other indoor stadiums and public halls, reported The Star.
The centre, which is being coordinated with the National Disaster Agency, was ready by Sunday evening, 29 March
According to the Ministry's Facebook account, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba was at MAEPS on Saturday, 28 March, to oversee preparations for the quarantine centre.
