Page 125 - MALAYSIA HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD

preparations and strategies were in adherence to the guidelines by the
Ministry of Health. Prompt identification of full COVID-19, hybrid COVID-19,
and non-COVID-19 hospitals allowed the continuation of essential services
in all hospitals. In Kota Kinabalu, the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital was
designated as a non-COVID-19 hospital to ensure essential services for non-
COVID-19 patients continue to function and cater to patients requiring
urgent and timely surgical interventions . Outpatient services in the state
19
were reorganised with emphasis on phone consultations and drive-through
medication collection for stable cases, while necessary reviews were
19
staggered appropriately to reduce crowding at all hospitals and clinics .
Services by the Emergency and Trauma Department (ETD) were
19
streamlined, catering to only Red and Yellow Zone cases . Green Zone
services in the ETD were halted, and patients were diverted to the nearest
government or private healthcare clinics. This was made possible through
continuous cooperation and collaborations between government hospitals
and their public health counterparts. Mobilisation and redistribution of
resources locally and from other states helped greatly to maintain essential
services in addition to the ongoing efforts in combating the pandemic.

As Sabah continuously recorded high daily numbers of COVID-19 cases, the
demand for more treatment centres soared, further displacing hybrid
centers' capability to cater to essential services. Timely collaboration
between the MOH Malaysia and ATM in setting up a 100-bedded field hospital
in Tawau Sports Complex provided appreciable relief to the critical need
48
for ward space in Tawau Hospital. The field hospital consisted of a satellite
pharmacy, laboratory, and a resuscitation bay, providing the much-needed
care areas for all clinical disciplines. Besides, Tawau Hospital collaborated
with ATM and Kunak Hospital to establish an extension Operation Theatre
in Kunak Hospital to perform cancer surgeries and other elective cases such
as thyroidectomy, distal transverse loop colostomy, hernioplasty,
19
splenectomy, reversal stoma, and others . This enabled Tawau Hospital to
be upgraded to a full-fledged COVID-19 hospital managing ill COVID-19
patients.

BATTLING THE THIRD COVID-19 WAVE IN MALAYSIA BATTLING THE THIRD COVID-19 WAVE IN MALAYSIA 89
123