Page 116 - MALAYSIA HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD

c. Increasing capacity
At the peak of the third COVID-19 spike in Sabah, as of 30th October 2020,
there were 9 COVID-19 hospitals and 28 PKRCs . This number has increased
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by 2.5-fold to accommodate the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Sabah.

Bed capacity

Data to date has shown that approximately 80% of the COVID-19 patients
suffered mild symptoms or were asymptomatic; 15% of the infected adults
developed severe illnesses and required oxygen supplementation, whereas
the remaining 5% of the infected patients progressed to a critical state
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requiring ventilator machines . Based on this data, MOH Malaysia had
proactively taken the initiative to increase ICU beds and ventilators'
capacity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to cope with the
possible surge in the number of critical COVID-19 cases, as well as to
optimise the treatment of critical COVID-19 cases.

The Bed Field
pictur Bed Hospital
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ye
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The
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PKRC Bed ICU Bed
7,368 130
Ventilator Machine
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Figure 5.11: Hospital capacity preparedness in Sabah during the third
COVID-19 wave, as of 30th October 2020
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(Source: Facebook Program Perubatan KKM Malaysia )
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80 BATTLING THE THIRD COVID-19 WAVE IN MALAYSIA