KOTA KINABALU: An opposition leader here has called on one of Sabah's three Deputy Chief Ministers to take charge in strengthening the state healthcare system amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Chan Foong Hin said the healthcare system must remain stable during tough times, and a Deputy Chief Minister should be prepared to temporarily take over the duties of the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is currently receiving treatment in hospital for Covid-19.
"Under no circumstances should the healthcare system in Sabah be allowed to weaken or collapse, even if the Chief Minister is warded for Covid-19.
"I wish Hajiji a speedy recovery. But in the meantime, I would like to urge Hajiji to immediately assign his official duties to one of his deputies during his stay at the hospital.
"I would expect his deputies to take up the chief minister's responsibilities if Hajiji is unable to do so," he said in a statement, today.
Chan, who is Sabah DAP secretary, said the Sabah government could take a leaf out of Sarawak's book, as Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg has delegated the task of leading the state's Covid-19 Disaster Management Committee to his deputy, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Chan said no health portfolio has been assigned to any Sabah minister, despite the state being the country's epicentre of the new Covid-19 wave.
"It is important for the Sabah Cabinet to lead policy-making against the pandemic, given that the state has 57 per cent of Malaysia's total active cases."
He also expressed concern over a report that the intensive care unit (ICU) of Queen Elizabeth Hospital II (QEH II) has been crippled after more than half of its nurses were instructed to undergo quarantine.
He said although QEH II is not a hospital designated to treat Covid-19, it nonetheless plays an important role in taking in patients from QEH I and relieving congestion of patients there.
"I appeal to the Health Ministry and the Sabah Health Department to take immediate action in reinforcing the heavily-strained medical team at the ICU by mobilising additional nurses from other hospitals.
"The federal government ought to bring in more medical staff from other states and allocate them for other Sabah hospitals.
"The state government should speed up the work pass application of these medical staff, if necessary."
Yesterday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that two nurses attached to the ICU ward of QUEH II tested positive for Covid-19 and that 40 out of the 66 nurses there are undergoing home quarantine.
He also stressed that the QEH II is operating as usual, but was forced to reduce the number of ICU patients from eight to six.
Dr Noor Hisham also noted that all patients in the ICU are free of Covid-19 infection.