KUALA LUMPUR: The utilisation rate of the Intensive Care Units (ICU) beds for Covid-19 patients has surpassed 100 per cent.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the utilisation rate of ICU beds increased from 96 per cent on May 24, to 104 per cent as of June 6.
"The rate which exceeded 100 per cent is particularly alarming, as not all patients in need of critical care can (now) be placed in the ICU," he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, as of June 6, Dr Noor Hisham said the hospital bed utilisation rate for non-ICU Covid-19 patients recorded a slight decline in two weeks, from 99 per cent to 89 per cent.
"The same goes with bed utilisation at Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC) which stands at 54 per cent," he said in a statement.
Elaborating on the latest Covid-19 infection situation in Malaysia, Dr Noor Hisham said the daily positive cases recorded a drop by 2.6 per cent or 1,379 during the 22nd epidemiology week (May 30 to June 5), compared to the 21st epidemiology week (May 23 to 29).
"This was due to the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO 3.0) by the government starting May 12.
"However, during the same period, the number of active cases increased due to sharp increase in cases during 20th epidemiology week and 21st epidemiology week."
Dr Noor Hisham said at the beginning of the 21st epidemiology week, the number of active cases was 57,022.
"At the beginning of 22nd epidemiology week, it rose to 78,017 cases, an increase by 37 per cent (or 20,995 cases)."
He said as of today, the number of active cases undergoing treatment and observation stood at 82,797.
Dr Noor Hisham also said hospitals across the country were facing an increase in Category 4 and 5 patients, involving those requiring oxygen and breathing assistance, especially among vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
"These patients require a longer recovery period from serious complications due to Covid-19 infection."
He said statistics from the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) reported that an average treatment period for patients in Category 4 was between 14 and 16 days; and between 19 and 26 days for Category 5 patients.