The preparation included three National Table Talk exercises that ended yesterday and which included simulations on case surges in several states and ways to respond, he said.

Wrapping up his ministry’s response to the Supply Bill 2022, Khairy said the National Table Talk exercise looked at real-time bed occupancy rates in all public and private hospitals and the possibility of sending non-Covid patients to private hospitals.

He said one of the lessons learned from previous surges in the Klang Valley was the inability to look at the total number of beds in private and public hospitals.

Among strategies under the simulations were ensuring enough beds in private and public hospitals and ways to place patients in special wards.

The ministry carried out a simulation in Perlis to look at ways to handle the state if there was an increase in Covid-19 cases and prepare its response to the situation.

As for urban areas, Khairy said, virtual health checks could be held and Category 1 and 2 patients (asymptomatic and mild symptoms) may be quarantined at home.

“Testing, tracing and isolation procedures are also being improved,” he said.

Lee Boon Chye (PH-Gopeng) also asked Khairy on steps being taken to clear the 150,000 to 200,000 backlogged surgeries.

He asked if the cases would be outsourced or would hospitals conduct additional surgeries on weekends to clear the backlog and cope with new cases.

Khairy said he had asked the health director-general to list elective and critical surgeries, while some cases could be outsourced with an additional allocation for next year.

He also said the ministry could use teaching and military hospitals to clear the backlog.