KOTA KINABALU: In a situation where the Covid-19 pandemic remains uncertain and cases rising, generous Sabahans came together to help fund the state's first mobile negative pressure room.
Donations were collected via Osimal Foundation led by former Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, who handed over the RM130,000 airborne infection isolation room to the Likas Women and Children's Hospital this morning.
The foundation also helped to raise money to fund 20 units of powered air-purifying respirator suits. The suits, he said, would be handed over on Monday and cost RM8,000 per unit.
"There is no need to thank Osimal Foundation. We thank the donors because they have been very kind. With the spirit of 'rakyat jaga rakyat' (community looking after each other), we received plenty of assistance (from the people).
"We are looking at getting another (mobile) isolation room unit for Queen Elizabeth Hospital," Malanjum told reporters when met at the Likas Women and Children's Hospital here.
During the first wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, he said Osimal Foundation collected and spent about RM1 million to fund personal protective equipment and reagent testing kits.
Meanwhile, Likas Women and Children's Hospital director Dr Marcus Netto said the mobile isolation room was useful in view of the increasing Covid-19 cases in the state.
He said the current healthcare needed more of this to help isolate Covid-19 positive patients from the people around them to prevent further infection.
"We have a permanent (isolation) room in this hospital, but this is the first mobile negative pressure room we received. It's quite a new invention.
"Once a Covid-19 positive patient enters the (mobile) room, the air that contains germs will be purified and released as clean air, so the surrounding area is isolated from Covid-19 infection," he explained.
Dr Netto extended appreciation to Osimal Foundation for helping with funding, adding the equipment was arranged by the Malaysian Medical Association.
Speaking on the hospital manpower, he said Sabah healthcare in general needs more skilled manpower, especially anaesthesiologists and nurses, with the current outbreak.
He also said the hospital did many improvements to boost the spirit of frontliners, including giving them time off and conducting screening on them so they are able to get much needed rest.
Dr Chea Phee Keng, who is an emergency specialist attached to the hospital, said they were doing very well despite facing a situation that required constant services from medical frontliners.
"We have actually seen the best of our staff with the challenges. We have stepped up and they are doing very well. Many have surprised us how well they can do.
"I think the cooperation at the hospital is at the highest point. All the other departments and nurses come to help. We even have dental officers and nurses assisting us. This is unprecedented kind of cooperation we see in the hospital," he said.
Yesterday, Sabah recorded 489 Covid-19 positive cases and five deaths. As of Oct 16, 3,815 patients are still receiving treatment while 2,420 patients are reported to have recovered from the coronavirus.