Selangor ICUs running at 42% capacity, says state health director

There are now 86 Covid-19 patients, both suspected and confirmed cases, at ICUs in Selangor hospitals, with capacity use so far at 42%.

State health director Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman said as of 8am today, there were 1,286 beds for non-critical Covid-19 cases at the ICUs with usage at 92%.

“Meanwhile, there are 203 beds at ICUs and repurposed ICUs in Selangor (including for Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 cases), with the usage rate at 80%,” he said in a statement.

He was responding to a report yesterday saying that a new wave of Covid-19 is expected in December, with hospital wards and ICUs to be filled again with patients in Category Four and Five.

Sha’ari said over the last two weeks, daily new cases in Selangor had ranged from 1,300 to 1,500 with 1.5% to 2% of the cases in Category Three, Four and Five.

He said the increasing number of new cases at the ICU at Hospital Sungai Buloh was due to it being a fully Covid-19 hospital and a reference hospital on the viral disease for all hospitals in Selangor and the Klang Valley.

He said Hospital Sungai Buloh’s ICU also receives Covid-19 cases from other hospitals so that their ICUs can accommodate more non-Covid-19 cases.

Sha’ari also said that as of 8am today, 54 beds (96%) were being used at the Hospital Sungai Buloh ICU.

“In preparing for a situation of an increased number of Covid-19 cases for admission at Hospital Sungai Buloh, the oxygen gas system at the National Leprosy Control Centre has been upgraded to cater for the Covid-19 cases so as to reduce the burden of this hospital.

“Hospital Sungai Buloh will also be supported by other hospitals in the Klang Valley, if needed, to cater for Covid-19 cases,” he added.