Abang Johari speaks during a recent press conference at his office in Kuching. – Penerangan photo
BINTULU (May 18): The Sarawak government has so far spent RM151 million in its effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 this year compared to RM91 million last year, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
The increase in expenditure was a result of various preventive measures being taken by the state government, and the amount did not include the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance package, he told reporters after attending a special briefing on Covid-19 here today.
For Bintulu alone, Abang Johari said a total of RM3.66 million had been approved for the Bintulu Resident Office’s disaster management committee to implement further measures against Covid-19 here.
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He said the state government had also agreed to build an interim building at the compound of Bintulu Hospital to accommodate chronic Covid-19 patients.
He said there is an urgent need for the facility because Bintulu Hospital also received Covid-19 patients from Mukah, Dalat and Belaga.
“This is just an interim building with the construction to be fully funded by the state government,” he said, adding that when the situation permits, the state government will ask the federal government to build new blocks for the hospital.
“For now because of urgency we will build an interim IBS building to accommodate patients. How many beds, I leave it to the Health Department to decide and will be monitored by the Bintulu Division Disaster Management Committee,” he said, referring to the industrialised building system (IBS).
Asked on the cost of the interim building, Abang Johari said they were still calculating but since the building would not be that big, the state government could afford to build it for the sake of the people’s health.
At the same time, he said a total RM870,000 allocation had been approved to supply essential medical equipment needed by Bintulu Hospital apart from RM488,500 to Bintulu Health Office to purchase equipment.
He added the state government will have to allocate certain amounts for the future to deal with Covid-19 pandemic in the state.
“For us the state government, the people’s health is more important than others,” he stressed.
From the briefing earlier, he was told that last year there were only 19 deaths but 230 deaths were recorded in the state this year.
“We don’t want this figure to increase, it is up to us, because this virus only lives between 10 to 14 days. But if we are able to break the chain (of transmission), the virus will not spread and it is important for us to have self-discipline, comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP),” he said.
The Bintulu Division Disaster Management Committee has been very proactive in implementing additional SOPs to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the division after Bintulu recorded cases in the three-digit range.
This includes a controversial decision to have mandatory negative Covid-19 test results for travellers to come in and out of Bintulu, as well as other movement restrictions.
Also present at the press conference were State Disaster Management Committee advisor Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and minister in charge for Bintulu Division Disaster Management Committee Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.