Shafie raps GRS govt for not doing enough against Covid-19

KOTA KINABALU: Warisan president Shafie Apdal has voiced concern over the soaring daily Covid-19 infections in Sabah, claiming the state government is not doing enough to address the situation.

Shafie also said the state’s public healthcare system had been stretched to breaking point, with not enough beds and facilities to treat patients.

“I was informed that those aged above 60 get limited access to ventilators so the machines can be used on younger patients with higher survival rates,” the former chief minister said in a statement here today.

“Surely, the government can afford to buy more ventilators to save lives.”

He said he understood that extra beds were placed in operating theatres at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1, and even then, there was a long waiting list of patients.

“Critical patients are given oxygen on beds placed at the hospital’s tunnel area while they wait to go to the intensive care unit (ICU),” he said.

Shafie said the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led state government had repeatedly claimed that the situation was under control, and yet it admitted the state was facing a vaccine shortage.

“In the meantime, more and more people get infected with Covid-19 at an escalating rate. Worse yet, even children and babies are adding to the statistics,” he said.

As the government of the day, he said, there appeared to be no effort on GRS’ part to seek every possible way to obtain more vaccines.

“Not a word or even a whimper from them to compel the federal government to expedite the delivery of vaccines to the state.

“It has been over 15 months since the pandemic hit Sabah’s shores, and since then the rate of infections has soared.

“The state holds second place for the country’s highest number of positive cases but is last for the number of people vaccinated,” he said.

Yesterday, daily infections hit a record high of 3,487 and statistics indicate that over the past month, Sabah’s average weekly incremental rate of infection was 266%.

Shafie described the situation as “alarming and appalling”. He urged the government to set up more treatment centres for patients and suggested that the Lok Kawi army camp near here and Sepanggar naval base be considered as potential venues.

As of yesterday, the state had recorded a cumulative 134,517 cases, with 34,486 still active. A total of 174 patients were being treated in ICUs while 78 others needed respiratory assistance.

There have also been 1,001 deaths in Sabah, including 26 yesterday. — Free Malaysia Today