ISKANDAR PUTERI: Patients without critical health issues are advised to seek treatment at the Mahmoodiah Health Clinic instead of the emergency and trauma department at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) in Johor Baru.
State Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said this will alleviate any further burden and congestion at HSA's emergency room, which receives a high number of patients daily.
He said the operating hours of the Mahmoodiah Health Clinic has been extended and it will operate from 5pm to 9pm every day.
The Mahmoodiah Health Clinic is located within the same compound of HSA.
"Every day, the HSA Polyclinic receives more than 2,000 patients and the hospital's emergency and trauma department receives an average of 600 patients daily. So, imagine if we divided this by 24 hours, every hour, the facilities receive a very high number of patients.
"The Health Ministry has taken an initiative to extend the operating hours of the Mahmoodiah Health Clinic so that it could redirect some cases, especially from the green zone. These include patients with colds, stomach aches or dizziness, which can be referred to Mahmoodiah Health Clinic to reduce the load at the HSA emergency and trauma department.
"Perhaps the public is not aware of the extended operating hours at the Mahmoodiah Health Clinic, or some may have an impression that if they go to the hospital, they can see a doctor immediately.
"No. We encourage patients with unsevere illnesses to go to the Mahmoodiah Health Clinic first. If these patients need a referral for a specialist, then they will be referred to the hospital."
Ling said this at a press conference after launching a memorandum of understanding (MOU) event between Gleneagles Johor Hospital and the Rose Foundation for the Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign here today.
The green zone at the HSA emergency and trauma department had been closed on Jan 17 to accommodate an increase in patients in the Yellow and Red Zones when they exceeded capacity.
HSA director Dr Sal Atan, however, had said that services at the zones resumed at about 5pm on the same day despite an initial notice saying that the department would be closed between 2pm to 9pm.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had also said in a tweet on Jan 19 that issue of congestion at the semi-critical and critical zones at the hospital's ETD would be reduced. He had said this while denying a claim that the healthcare system in Johor Baru was on the verge of collapse.
Ling said the Mahmoodiah Health Clinic has comprehensive medical facilities, including laboratories and X-rays, thus providing conducive medical services for patients.