With Covid-19 spike, Sibu Hospital urges public to stay away unless emergency
COVID-19 | The public has been warned against going to Sibu Hospital unless it is absolutely necessary, following the admission of 37 Covid-19 patients from the new Pasai Siong cluster.
Borneo Post quoted Sibu Hospital director Dr Nanthakumar Thirunavukkarasu as saying that staying away is necessary to prevent the hospital from becoming another new Covid-19 cluster.
"Help to keep our hospital...
COVID-19 | The public has been warned against going to Sibu Hospital unless it is absolutely necessary, following the admission of 37 Covid-19 patients from the new Pasai Siong cluster.
Borneo Post quoted Sibu Hospital director Dr Nanthakumar Thirunavukkarasu as saying that staying away is necessary to prevent the hospital from becoming another new Covid-19 cluster.
"Help to keep our hospital clean so that our staff can mobilise and do their jobs at ease," he reportedly said at a press conference yesterday after the patients were admitted to the facility.
Nanthakumar said the hospital did not expect the exponential jump in related cases when the index case was detected on Jan 5 after she had returned from Johor Bahru on Dec 29 to attend her father’s funeral.
"It was like a bombshell for us when news filtered out that a total of 37 people tested positive," he was quoted as saying.
Of the non-Covid-19 patients at Sibu Hospital, Nanthakumar said the majority of those admitted would be transferred to Sarikei and Kanowit hospitals, which are non-Covid-19 centres, while others in line for appointments might also be delayed or rescheduled.
"We call for understanding for rescheduled appointments, which will be based on doctors’ assessments," he said, adding that admission would be reduced with stable patients potentially be given medicine and told to go home.
In terms of manpower, he said leave for hospital staff had been frozen, with the option of bringing in more healthcare personnel from other divisions.
"Business at the hospital will be as usual. Whatever limitations we encounter will be addressed," he stressed.
Aside from the hospital staff, Nanthakumar urged the public to remain vigilant against the third wave of Covid-19.
"We want our staff to follow standard operating procedures and there is no compromise on that. At the same time, do not let our guard down," he added.
As of noon yesterday, 1,251 Covid-19 cases were reported in Sarawak, out of a total 133,559 cases nationwide.
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