Penang is still one of the worst affected COVID-19 hotspots, with the highest number of deaths and the second highest number of cases per capita in the country, based on COVIDNOW website on 18 September 2021. Penang also recorded the second highest utilisation of ventilators and ICU beds at 73.3% and 96.6% respectively. This has contributed to the high death toll.
The 7-day positivity rate remains high at 19%, nearly 4 times above the World Health Organisation(WHO)’s 5%, indicating undertesting and the need for mass test screenings for more effective preventive measures against COVID-19 clusters. At least the infectivity rate has gone down below 1.0, suggesting that the spread of COVID-19 is slowing down in Penang.
The Penang COVID-19 Coordinator Steven Sim and the Penang state government’s head of COVID-19 Emergency Response teams Phee Boon Poh have also taken measures to increase the number and improve the quality of service at quarantine centres(PKRC), Covid Assessment Centres(CAC), ICU beds and ventilators with the assistance of both Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Penang Health Ministry officials.
Penangites are grateful for the quick completion of a field hospital comprising 96 ordinary beds and 4 ICU beds at the Penang General Hospital Car Park by the Armed Forces. Further 300 non COVID-19 patients from public hospitals have also been moved to private hospitals to make more room for COVID-19 patients at public hospitals.
However, with ICU bed utilisation at 96.6%, Khairy should consider building more field hospitals with more IC beds in Seberang Jaya, Nibong Tebal and Balik Pulau. Khairy can draw on the extra RM5 billion in funds allocated to his Ministry as part of the RM45 billion fund injection to fight COVID-19 and the economic recession in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Federal government and PH on 13 September 2021.
The extra RM 5 billion can help to not only conduct mass test screening nationally but also increase manpower by taking contract doctors on a permanent basis and improve health support services such as ICU beds. This will help to increase the survival rates of Category 5 COVID-19 patients at public hospitals to the higher survival rates at private hospitals.