112 private hospitals nationwide treating Covid-19 patients

A total of 112 private hospitals nationwide have given their cooperation in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.

He said these hospitals provided 1,277 ward beds and 129 ICU beds for the handling of Covid-19 cases.

“Through the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, the health ministry can cooperate with private hospitals, especially in the urban areas, to treat Covid-19 cases,” he told a media conference after launching the virtual Healthcare Scheme for B40 Group (PeKa B40) Report for 2019-2020 today.

Through the emergency ordinance, the ministry can also fully utilise hospitals, such as the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Specialist Children’s Hospital in Cheras, to treat Covid-19 cases.

On the involvement of medical practitioners from the private sector in giving vaccine jabs, Adham said 1,230 vaccination centres (PPVs) had been set up so far under ProtectHealth, which has been given the mandate to involve private medical practitioners.

He said ProtectHealth, together with the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force and the health ministry, would open over 30 large-scale integrated PPVs nationwide before July 19.

According to Adham, the PPVs under ProtectHealth were administering 110,000 doses of vaccine daily at the end of June.

ProtectHealth is a fully-owned subsidiary of ProtectHealth Malaysia, which was set up under the health ministry and is not profit-based. It coordinates, administers and manages initiatives linked to the financing of healthcare services as entrusted by the health ministry.