Health workers conduct Covid-19 swab tests. — Bernama photo
KUCHING (July 15): Sentosa Hospital has stopped taking in patients, including suspected cases, into its wards and Male Forensic Ward effective yesterday following the detection of Covid-19 cases there.
According to State Health Director Dato Dr Mohamed Sapian Mohamed, 56 people were found positive for Covid-19 after the psychiatric hospital was declared as the centre of the Sentosa 2 Cluster.
Its index case involved a staff member who tested positive on Monday (July 12).
Out of the 56 cases, 24 are health staff, 28 are in-patients (residents), one is a concessionaire staff and three are family close contacts, he said.
Dr Mohamed Sapian said that the hospital will be closed to the public for two weeks for quarantine purposes but it will still entertain out-patients requiring medical attention.
“The out-patient services still continue via tele-consultation and the dispensing of medicines is via drive-through,” he explained.
Electroconvulsive therapy services involving aerosol procedure was stopped effective July 12 but out-patients seeking such services are required to go to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), he said.
He said affected areas of the Hospital Sentosa have undergone terminal cleaning while all-round security surveillance has been tightened.
Dr Mohamed Sapian stressed that the maintenance of the staff’s health and safety as well as active close detection are being prioritised.