Health chief: ICU beds in Sarawak full, public must do its part to cut Covid-19 infections

KUCHING: Sarawak hospitals' intensive care unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 patients are full, says state health director Dr Chin Zin Hing.

Appealing to the public to play its part, he said there was an urgent need to cut Covid-19 transmissions to reduce the number of hospital admissions.

"Our ICU beds are full across the state. The doctors are working very hard every day to turn over the ventilators or ICU beds so that the next patient in need can benefit.

"At current moment, in all major Sarawak hospitals, we are running 92 ICU beds – all full," he said in a statement on Monday (May 17), adding that each bed was used for 10 days on average.

Without cutting the transmission, Dr Chin said, 10% to 20% of Covid-19 cases would need hospitalisation and 5% to 10% would need the ICU.

Warning that the state was at a "tipping point", he urged the public to stay home, stay within their family bubble, work from home if possible and follow the standard operating procedures (SOP).

"We really need to cut this transmission with everyone's help now until the national and state vaccination programme is rolled out successfully.

"Please assist us to cut the transmission, as our healthcare is overwhelmed," he said.