As ICU demand hits 90pc in Malaysia, The Edge’s Covid-19 fund steps in with corporate donation of 33 ventilators

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — A Covid-19 fund managed by financial publication The Edge today sent 33 ventilators and five oxygen concentrators to Hospital Sungai Buloh for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Datuk Ho Kay Tat, chief executive and publisher of The Edge Media Group, said the contribution by The Edge Covid-19 Equipment Fund was in response to the “sharp increase” in the number of Covid-19 patients requiring treatment in intensive care units (ICU) and respiratory support.

Noting that Hospital Sungai Buloh is currently operating purely as a Covid-19 hospital, Ho expressed hope that the 33 ventilators would help ease the demand at the hospital.

“The reports by the Ministry of Health that usage of critical and intensive care unit beds for treating Covid-19 patients in the Klang Valley has reached 90 per cent is of great concern to all of us,” Ho said in a statement today.

According to the statement, the Health Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah received the medical equipment today on behalf of Hospital Sungai Buloh, while those who were present were deputy state health director (management) Wong Kim Han @ Robert, hospital director Dr Kuldip Kaur and The Edge Media Group’s chairman Datuk Tong Kooi Ong.

Ho also said 500,000 medical grade three-ply masks would be sent to Hospital Sungai Buloh over the next week.

Just last month, the same fund had delivered three oxygen concentrators and more than 200,000 face masks and protective gowns to Hospital Sungai Buloh.

In the statement, Shafiq was quoted saying that more medical gloves are needed at hospitals, while Ho said The Edge would do its best to source these from glovemakers.

The Edge Covid-19 Equipment Fund has so far donated more than 120 ventilators, 100 oxygen concentrators and more than RM1.3 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to over 30 hospitals including those in Sabah and Sarawak, and over 60 district clinics in Peninsular Malaysia since the pandemic started.

According to The Edge, The Edge Covid-19 pandemic funds were started in late March last year when the first movement control order (MCO) was imposed in Malaysia, with a total RM25.16 million raised from donors.

The RM25.16 million figure was collectively raised for two separate funds, The Edge Covid-19 Equipment Fund (RM14.62 million) which is for the purchase of medical equipment including ventilators and face masks and The Edge Covid-19 Health Care Workers Support Fund (RM10.54 million) which is for financial assistance to healthcare workers infected while caring for Covid-19 patients.

According to the list of donors to the funds released online by The Edge, they include individuals, companies, and foundations and also The Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry Malaysia.