Maybank has committed a sum of RM14 million to urgently upgrade the capacity at two major government hospitals to ensure the continued provision of adequate medical facilities and services.
The contribution, to be channeled via MERCY Malaysia’s COVID-19 Hospital Surge Capacity Support Programme, will see the deployment of critically needed equipment and personnel to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang (HTAR), beginning from the fourth week of July 2021.
Maybank Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa said that the Group, like all other Malaysians, viewed with concern the increasing number of COVID-19 patients of late and the resulting strain on the nation’s medical infrastructure.
“We recognise the challenges being faced by our hospitals and heroic frontliners, as well as the anguish of the patients and their loved ones who may face delays in receiving medical attention owing to the overwhelming number of cases,” he said. “Given the especially pressing requirements at these two major hospitals, we felt it was essential that all effort be made to alleviate their critical need for medical support at this time and offer relief to both the patients and frontliners there.”
Datuk Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus, President of MERCY Malaysia said, “MERCY Malaysia is very honoured by the continued support from Maybank, which has stood with us since 2014. The latest funding is testament of the recognition and trust Maybank has on our work as a non-profit organisation where pre-emptive source of funding is key in delivering emergency humanitarian response. The momentum for COVID-19 response for Malaysia has reached its peak, hence requiring strategic preparedness, discretionary actions and sustainable engagements.”
Tan Sri Zamzamzairani said the programme will be carried out over an estimated 20-week period via a three-pronged approach – namely through the provision of health equipment and supplies; mobilization of human resources; and technical training including mental health and psychosocial support.
“It will result in the ICU bed capacity for Category 4 and 5 COVID-19 patients increasing by 6 units in HTAR and 10 units in HKL, as well as an additional 200 COVID-19 patient beds at each of these two hospitals,” he explained.
“At the same time, it will provide critically needed health workers and support staff totaling some 40 personnel for HTAR and 50 for HKL, to serve at both their COVID-19 and non-COVID wards, thereby enabling their outpatient departments to re-open and serve all patients.”
This initiative will also see more medical staff trained on the proper handling of COVID-19 cases as well as provide a wide range of much needed ICU and non-ICU medical equipment, including for both the hospitals’ emergency departments. These include close to 4,000 medical and supporting equipment such as BP monitors, ECG and cardiac machines, oxygen flow meters, defibrillators, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, critical care vital monitors and ICU beds, among many others.
Recognising the need to reduce the burnout rate and mental health challenges among frontline health workers, the programme will also provide mental health and psychosocial support services through reliable health management modules and mechanisms, and deliver direct aid to reduce the livelihood burdens of these workers and their family members.
Tan Sri Zamzamzairani said that given the especially acute capacity challenges at HTAR, Maybank’s contribution will also see the setting up of a temporary field hospital there together with the provision of technical training to the staff to augment the treatment and recovery for COVID-19 patients. This will help reduce the existing loads at the ICU and general wards by the active management of Category 3 patients.
“Our hope is that by working together with the health authorities, MERCY Malaysia and all Malaysians, the sustainability of our nation’s healthcare system will be assured, and our hospitals will be better equipped and prepared to face not only the current COVID-19 outbreak, but also other future unexpected pandemics,” he said. “As a Group committed to humanising financial services, we will continue to do our utmost to support the communities we serve so that we can sustain lives and help contain the spread of the disease, whilst reducing the risks and stress for frontline workers.”
Prior to this collaboration with MERCY Malaysia, the Maybank Group had in 2020 contributed over RM20 million to support various COVID-19 relief efforts such as through the provision of medical and personal protective equipment to hospitals, aid for the disadvantaged, provision of washing stations for marginalised communities and supplies of essential kits to health facilities for infection prevention and control. The Group had also offered its digital fund raising platform MaybankHeart which saw over RM500,000 raised to support various causes in the fight against COVID-19.
