THE Caring Society Complex is currently undergoing the necessary works to be converted into a low-risk Covid-19 quarantine centre (LRCC) for patients under Category Three and above.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said currently, the Category Three to Five Covid-19 patients in Penang amounted to more than 40% of the total admissions in the hospitals.
“The Penang Health Department has to find more places to prepare the necessary facilities to meet the public health demands.
“The patients need to be placed in suitable locations.
“The Penang government has agreed with state Health Department to use the Caring Society Complex as the LRCC.
“There were efforts to open up more wards in Penang Hospital, Bukit Mertajam Hospital, and Seberang Jaya Hospital (hybrid Covid-19 hospital) to treat Covid-19 patients in the past but we still need more locations due to the high number of cases.
“The LRCC in Caring Society Complex can accommodate 97 Covid-19 patients, especially those who require medical oxygen treatment,” he said after visiting the complex today.
Also present were Penang Agrotech and Food Security, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin, state Secretary Datuk Seri Abdul Razak Jaafar and Penang Health Department director Datuk Dr Asmayani Khalib.
Chow said the LRCC would be located at the lower level of the complex.
“The location of the complex is suitable as it is very near to the Penang Hospital. It is more convenient for the medical personnel to transfer the patients to the Penang Hospital for critical treatment should there be a need to do so.
“Meanwhile, the contractor which was appointed by the Public Works Department, has started the conversion works on Aug 17.
“We understand that the LRCC can be ready to receive patients by Friday (Aug 20),” he said.
Chow appealed to the corporate companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and individuals for assistance.
The LRCC needed medical and non-medical equipment.
Among them were swab booths, industrial fans, wheelchairs, linen storage cabinets, huge white boards with rollers, laptops, printers, resuscitation beds, vital sign monitors, an electrocardiogram, a diagnostic set of ophthalmoscope and otoscope, an emergency trolly, water dispensers, a portable suction, X-ray viewing box, a transport ventilator, a videolaryngoscope, a manual defibrillator, syringe pumps, medication cart trolleys and a medicine storage cabinet.
The donors can contact the medical personnel from the state Health Department Dr A. Lingeshwaran (012-5944347) or Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid (012-4073200) for more details.
Chow also said that donors who would like to contribute in cash could channel their donation to the Penang Covid-19 Fund. The Maybank account number is 5570 546 209 30.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar