MP Pleads MOH For Help As Patients Are Placed On Camp Beds Outside Klang Hospital
"This also sums up the state of our healthcare... It's overwhelmed," wrote Klang MP Charles Santiago.
By May Vin Ang — 07 Jul 2021, 06:50 PM
Klang member of Parliament (MP) Charles Santiago is requesting for urgent help from the Ministry of Health (MOH) as Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) caves under its overwhelming patient load
On his Facebook page today, 7 July, Charles wrote that COVID-19 patients are being placed outside Klang general hospital's emergency department because there is a lack of proper beds in the building.
"It was a heart-wrenching sight," said the MP.
"This also sums up the state of our healthcare and particularly this hospital: it's overwhelmed – not enough beds, exhausted medical frontliners, plus medical equipment that are breaking down."
The Klang MP requested for the federal government to immediately intervene to mitigate the tragedy that is currently unfolding at the hospital
"I am sending a letter to the Health Minister requesting an immediate increase in allocation for HTAR, so that a stand-alone temporary facility can be built to accommodate COVID-19 patients," said Charles.
"[I also] urge the government to use nearby budget hotels and public halls as an interim measure to place patients."
He also hoped that big corporations based in Klang could help support the hospital with supplies of urgent medical equipment.
"Let's come together in this hour of need," he said.
The politician's plea comes as photos and videos of the packed hospital circulate on social media
Last week, a video of the hospital's overwhelmed emergency department went viral, showing patients crowding the limited space in beds and wheelchairs.
Malaysiakini also reported that the situation at HTAR has gotten worse than before, with a hospital source telling the news portal there were over 150 COVID-19 patients waiting for hospital beds today, 7 July.
It is learnt that the hospital is also now caring for more than 350 COVID-19 patients – the ones placed outdoors are those awaiting transfer to low-risk treatment and quarantine centres, such as the Malaysian Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).
