Its exco member-cum-vice president III, Dr Shalimar Abdullah said Mercy Malaysia’s multi-pronged emergency response plan included the initial deployment of three tonnes of medical and breathing equipment (medical oxygen concentrators), monitors, infusion pumps, ripple mattresses, five inflatable tents (three for the transit intensive care unit and two for the emergency room), air-conditioners and electrical appliances.

“This is the first involvement of Mercy Malaysia in the Covid-19 field hospital initiative. We hope we can help lessen the overwhelming workload of Labuan’s healthcare personnel in handling the rising positive cases,” she said at the field hospital, here, today.

She said to further accelerate preparations for the field hospital to be ICU-ready, Mercy Malaysia had also mobilised its emergency medical team to provide intensive-care outreach to upskill the local medical personnel in handling Covid-19 patients.

“Mercy Malaysia understands that the healthcare personnel are stressed out due to the Covid-19 pandemic. What we need to do now is to help upgrade the skills of the existing healthcare personnel to semi-intensive care skills, especially those with sound basic knowledge, and this will be conducted by Mercy Malaysia’s volunteer, Dr Mafeitzeral Mamat.

“This is to help boost their confidence in treating Covid-19 patients who require medical oxygen assistance,” Shalimar said.

She said Labuan’s healthcare personnel were directly involved in treating Covid-19 patients in the field hospital’s transit ICU and assisted by Mercy Malaysia’s volunteers who will be in Labuan for at least a month.

Labuan’s Covid-19 field hospital at Labuan Corporation’s multipurpose hall is a collaborative effort involving the Malaysian Armed Forces, Mercy Malaysia, national disaster management agency (Nadma) and health ministry, and was set up following the surge in positive cases in the federal territory.

Meanwhile, Labuan health department director Dr Ismuni Bohari said the field hospital with 100 beds would cater for Covid-19 category three and four patients in need of medical oxygen assistance.

“However, patients with post-Covid-19 conditions (across all ages suffering pain, breathing difficulties, hyperlipidemia, malaise and fatigue and hypertension) will be treated at the Labuan Nucleus Hospital,” Ismuni said.

Labuan is now placed under the extended enhanced movement control order (EMCO) with eight localities under total lockdown until June 28.

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