ADDITIONAL medical equipment worth a total of RM751mil was required to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, says Khairy Jamaluddin (pic).

       “Additional medical facilities were required last year and this year comprising intensive care beds, ventilators and other equipment.

       “A total of RM593mil was spent for the emergency procurement of additional equipment.

       “This does not include local and overseas contributions of equipment worth RM148mil,” the Health Minister said when replying to a supplementary question by Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof (PN-Alor Gajah) yesterday.

       Khairy said the emergency procurement was required to equip hospitals and medical facilities to deal with the rise in Covid-19 cases.

       At present, he said the ministry would continue to rely on existing dedicated Covid-19 hospitals and hybrid hospitals to attend to patients.

       Earlier, Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PH-Kapar) asked whether permanent Covid-19 hospitals would be set up in all states.

       Separately, Teo Nie Ching (PH-Kulai) also asked the minister whether there were sufficient doctors and support staff to manage the hospitals and medical facilities in treating Covid-19 patients.

       To this, Khairy said a national rapid response task force was set up to deploy manpower when the need arises.

       Citing an example, he said 223 doctors, nurses and assistant medical officers were deployed to Penang recently following a surge in cases there.

       “The same was done for Kedah with 156 personnel being deployed there and another 102 to Sabah,” he said.

       Khairy said those deployed under the task force were on a rotational basis.

       He said the move was to prevent the medical frontliners from suffering burnouts.