KOTA KINABALU: Mental health psychosocial support groups were formed in every Sabah district since early this year to assist those affected by Covid-19, including healthcare workers, said state Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
"Heads of departments at all hospitals have been reminding staff to take care of themselves and each other.
"Workers are also told to inform their heads of department or counsellor if they are facing heavy workloads," she said in a statement, in response to a news report titled "Sabah doctor tells of nurses in tears, doctors on sleeping pills".
Dr Christina said that the department would like to thank the public for their concern over the challenges and difficulties faced by frontliners during this time.
"However, the department hopes that such a situation would not be seen as something that is out of control, to the extent of creating public anger towards those concerned," she said, adding that an additional 288 trained nurses were assigned to the hospital mentioned in the report.
She also quashed reports that healthcare staff deployed to Sabah must undergo 14 days of quarantine.
They only have to confine themselves and undergo an RT-PCR test upon returning to their states of origin, she said.
As for those assigned to work at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, they will be given a day of orientation on the structure, organisation and infection controls of the workplace.
"Due to urgent needs, the hospital has added more beds at the intensive care unit, from 16 to 40, (and) 31 trained nurses with post basic intensive care (capabilities) will be tasked to the unit. There are no junior staff nurses being stationed at the unit.
"Based on our investigations, all medical officers and specialists at the hospital's anaesthesia unit are working in a conducive environment and are still able to cope with the workload for now."
Dr Christina also denied claims in an article titled "Man left to die of Covid-19 after QEH sends him home", stating that there were beds available at the hospital during the time the incident is alleged to have occurred.
However, the authorities are still investigating the case.
In the state capital, QEH and Likas Women's and Children Hospital serve as Covid-19 treatment facilities which have 456 and 117 beds respectively.
Apart from that, five quarantine centres and 19 low-risk treatment centres are also prepared to accommodate more patients around Kota Kinabalu.