SERDANG: The country’s one of a kind Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centre is ready to accommodate more than 600 patients.
Located at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (Maeps) near Seri Kembangan, the low-risk patients, displaying asymptomatic or mild symptoms of the virus, will be housed at the additional centre that has both quarantine and treatment facilities for Covid-19 patients in the country.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said the centre would have Covid-19 wards and emergency resuscitation area including a clinic, pharmacy, and x-ray facilities among others.
He said the centre could accommodate 604 patients from Klang Valley, Negri Sembilan and Perak, if the need arises following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We want to ease the congestion at the gazetted Covid-19 hospitals so they can focus to treat those who require urgent care,” he said after visiting the facility here on Friday.
Dr Adham said as of yesterday, 40 hospitals gazetted to treat Covid-19 were using 40 per cent of their capacity to treat patients infected with the virus.
“There are 6,917 beds (at these hospitals) with 410 of them in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and we have 634 ventilators at our disposal. We are fully prepared to face any circumstances and this facility is one example,” he said.
A media visit to the facility at Maeps revealed there are two halls which have been designated as the quarantine centre to house the patients.
The patients will be placed in any of the 27 sections separated by big white partitions. Every section will have about 10 beds.
Each patient is provided with a single bed with two pillows, a drawer, and small study table for them to put their belongings. They will be allowed to mingle with others, but are restricted from leaving the facility.
The centre is also equipped with WiFi, television and computers.
On the 10 kilometre radius travel ban, Dr Adham said leniency would be given to those seeking medical care by informing the authorities manning the roadblocks of the reason for travelling further than the allowed distance.
“There is no reason to prevent them from going further than 10km for medical care… I believe the authorities will give leeway to them,” he added.