Move non-Covid patients to private hospitals, govt told

PETALING JAYA: The health authorities should decant non-Covid-19 patients to private hospitals to make room for Covid-19 treatment in government hospitals, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) said.

Its president, Dr Kuljit Singh, said patients from public hospitals may receive treatment at the agreed cost, accepted last year, to be fully funded by the government.

Kuljit said most private hospitals were not able to accept any more Covid-19 patients, especially in the Klang Valley, following an increase in Covid-19 cases being treated there over the last two weeks.

He said private hospitals were limited in terms of the number of beds, ICU facilities, and also specialists and nurses to accommodate Covid-19 patients.

“Our priority is to treat patients with the best available care with the utmost concern of patient safety and treatment outcomes,” he said in a statement.

“We understand the government facilities in the Klang Valley and maybe in Johor are fast filling up with the current increased number of patients.

“Our hope is the public will take this shortage of beds in hospitals seriously and be responsible to make sure the spread (of Covid-19) is curtailed and all preventive SOPs are adhered to.”

He said the biggest fear was “another shutdown in healthcare services” if there were no available beds or oxygen treatment for those in need.

Private hospitals have been admitting Covid-19 patients since January after the government asked them to help manage the pandemic. — Free Malaysia Today