KUCHING: The new Covid-19 low-risk quarantine and treatment centre (PKRC) at Dewan Hikmah here is now ready to receive patients.

       It is one of two newly-opened PKRCs in Kuching, where the number of cases has been on the rise in recent days.

       Dewan Hikmah development executive Mohd Hamka Basri said the 251-bed PKRC at the hall would cater for Covid-19 category one and two (asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic) cases.

       "Preparations began last week when the Health Department communicated with us about using the hall as a PKRC," he said when met on Tuesday (Aug 31).

       Mohd Hamka added that Dewan Hikmah fully supported the government's efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.

       "We will do our best to help in these efforts and we hope our cooperation in setting up the PKRC will be of assistance," he said.

       On Sunday (Aug 29), state disaster management committee adviser Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said two PKRCs were being prepared at Dewan Hikmah and SMK Tabuan Jaya with a total of 520 beds.

       "The PKRC is a place where medical monitoring is available for those who are Covid-19 positive in categories one, two and three or whose home environment is not suitable for self-isolation," he said in a Facebook post.

       Dr Sim said although the PKRC was run by the Sarawak General Hospital under the Federal Government, the state government was helping financially.

       "This is because it's the people of Sarawak who need the facilities, no time to be calculative in time of crisis now," he added.