KUCHING: Strictly abiding by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) will help in reducing the number of Covid-19 cases, said Senator Robert Lau Hui Yew.
He pointed out that the message on the importance of complying with the SOPs has been conveyed to the public for more than a year, but there were still people who failed to comply.
He was commenting on a report that the shortage of ventilators in Sibu Hospital reflected the dire situation faced with the high number of Covid-19 cases throughout the state and country.
“It is not how many equipment that can be added, or the addition of trained staff and doctors deployed to deal with the increasing Covid-19 cases, but how do we reduce the number of cases being admitted.
“The simple answer is that we must seriously abide by the SOPs. This message has been in the public domain for more than a year, we read it in the newspapers and social media, we hear it on the radios and televisions, we see it on the billboards everywhere. However, people still do not comply,” he said.
The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Bawang Assan Branch chairman stated that healthcare services would never be able to expand fast enough if the number of cases do not start to drop soon.
He noted that before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sibu Hospital had 36 ventilators and now it has more than 45.
“Even the richest country cannot cope with the ever-increasing cases if the infection rate does not drop as witnessed by the United States of America (US) and England last year. They have to rely on mass vaccination.
“Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing has highlighted how Kapit Hospital is not able to cope. Hospitals at smaller towns are in a worse off position as compared to Sibu where the public has donated medical equipment generously.
“He has rightly pointed out that vaccination needs to be speeded up, but the simplest solution is for the people to strictly comply with the SOPs,” he said.
Lau urged members of the public to take this matter seriously by doing their part in complying with the SOPs.
“Take this seriously, you do not want to be without a ventilator or an intensive care unit (ICU) bed when you need one,” he said.
