The badminton legend donated RM243,000 through his foundation to provide 32 extra beds for the hospital to cater for Covid-19 patients, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim Chee Keong said yesterday.

In a Twitter post today, Noor Hisham thanked the Lee Chong Wei Foundation for the contribution to upgrade the Bukit Mertajam Hospital emergency unit. “Hopefully, it can be utilised for the residents nearby,” he said.

Yesterday, Sim had posted his thanks to Chong Wei and said that work had already begun to expand the hospital’s capacity. He said the extra beds will mainly be used for Covid-19 patients needing early treatment before they are transferred to intensive care at Penang Hospital.

Bukit Mertajam Hospital was recently converted into a Covid-19 hybrid hospital following the increase in the number of cases in the state.

Noor Hisham also thanked the One Hope Charity & Welfare organisation for setting up a vaccine centre, the first society to open a free vaccination centre

He said the centre, located in a park-like setting, opened in July, and can provide between 360 and 720 doses of vaccine per day.

Noor Hisham said the centre was “one of the best examples of a ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ approach in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.