SHAH ALAM, May 18 — The COVID-19 Integrated Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) 2.0 at Malaysia Agro Expo Park Serdang (MAEPS) with a capacity of 5,869 beds is in the process of setting up another hall, to accommodate the increasing number of patients, especially from around the Klang Valley.
The Selangor Health Department (JKNS) in a post on Facebook said currently there are 3,454 patients with 80 per cent of them, locals.
Meanwhile, the average patient admission is around 600 a day and daily admission once reached 1,800 people.
“At the initial stage of setting up the MAEPS Integrated PKRC, it was aimed at placing categories 1 and 2 stable patients while elderly patients over the age of 70 and children under two years would be placed at the National Leprosy Control Centre (PKKN ) in Sungai Buloh.
“Due to the sudden increase in patients at present, PKKN has not been able to accommodate the number of patients in that category and they had to be placed in the Integrated PKRC 2.0 at MAEPS,” it said.
According to JKNS, the latest increase in COVID-19 cases also saw a sharp increase in category 3 cases when the integrated PKRC at MAEPS only provided 60 beds for that category initially, but now it has 752 beds and will increase its capacity to 1,000 beds in the near future.
JKNS also commented on the article entitled ” “Enam jam untuk dapat katil, suhu terlampau sejuk, makanan tak cukup, tandas ‘jijik’ (Six hours to get a bed, temperature too cold, not enough food, ‘disgusting’ toilets) which was published in a news portal yesterday (May 17).
“Toilets are cleaned four times a day, with shifts from 10 am-12 noon, 3 pm-5 pm, 8 pm-10 pm and 2 am-4 am,” said JKNS.
JKNS said a survey conducted among patients also found that 75 per cent of them were satisfied with the level of cleanliness of patients’ toilets and 91 per cent of patients were satisfied with the level of cleanliness of the hall as well as positive comments from patients through various social media platforms.
“Physical distancing is not an issue in the quarantine centre because all the patients involved have been confirmed COVID-19 positive,” it said.
JKNS said it is also trying its level best to provide food in sufficient quantities and to avoid wastage.
However, JKNS said the Integrated PKRC 2.0 at MAEPS is always trying new approaches such as providing free food until 10 pm to accommodate the number of new patients.
After 10 pm, it said the food for new patients would comprise a dry ration consisting of a loaf of bread, kaya spread, biscuits, mineral water and a packet drink for each patient.
