“The health ministry’s secretary-general said the ministry needs RM1.1 billion to increase its capacity to manage the pandemic in the Klang Valley,” he told reporters after visiting Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) in Klang earlier today.

“I have asked that this be negotiated quickly with the treasury secretary-general so the allocations, which have to be made in stages, will be approved immediately.”

AstroAwani reported that Muhyiddin said 151 beds would be placed at HTAR’s Mother and Child Care Complex, with the hospital also set to receive another 15 ventilators.

Muhyiddin also said the hospital would increase its number of beds for Covid-19 patients to 606 and ICU beds to 72.

His visit comes after videos and images of patients “parked” outside HTAR’s emergency department went viral last week, after which the government announced more beds and equipment would be sent to the hospital – with a field hospital also to be set up there.

Expressing concern over the surge in Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley, health director general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah last week said that the health ministry has dedicated several hospitals in the Klang Valley solely to treat Covid-19 patients – Hospital Ampang, Hospital Sungai Buloh and the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Specialist Children’s Hospital (HPKK UKM).

He said the ministry was also considering using Hospital Shah Alam to treat Covid-19 cases and had proposed that this be allowed at the Universiti Putra Malaysia Teaching Hospital (HUPM) and Hospital Universiti Teknologi Mara (HUiTM).