KUCHING, March 24 — The state government has ordered personal protective equipment (PPE) from Shandong, China, for government hospitals in Sarawak in the fight against Covid-19, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian posted tonight.

He said the PPE, among others, consists of 50,000 disposable medical protective gowns, 50,000 medical face shields, 50,000 medical goggles, 50,000 medical shoe covers and 50,000 N95 respirator face masks.

Dr Sim said the purchase was facilitated by the Chinese consulate-general in Kuching and Shandong provincial government.

"The Sarawak Health Department is handling all the purchases and the Sarawak government just pays,” he said, adding that a sum of RM10 million has been allocated for the purchase of PPE.

"We may be from different agencies with different bosses, but all coming together because we love and care for Sarawakians and Sarawak,” he said on his Facebook.

In another Facebook post, Dr Sim said the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) will increase the number of coronavirus tests from the present 250 to 2,000 by this weekend.

He said this has been made possible by the purchase of 20,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test reagents by the state government.

SGH and Unimas are the only Institute for Medical Research-certified laboratories for Covid-19 PCR testing in Sarawak.

"By this weekend, SGH and Unimas will have the capacity to increase testing from current 250 tests per day to 2,000 tests per day,” he said.

Dr Sim added social distancing and PCR testing are two proven successful measures for the Covid-19 outbreak in the state.

"Everyone has a role. Please play your part. Everyone needs to take Covid-19 seriously. Let us fight Covid-19 together,” he appealed.

Meanwhile, the state Disaster Management Committee received RM2 million from the Sibu-based WTK Group of Companies to help fight the Covid-19 outbreak in Sarawak.

A cheque for the amount was received by committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah from WTK’s accountant Liu Chee Kiong.

"Proud that in a crisis like now, our fellow Sarawakians are stepping up and stepping forwards without conditions or hesitation to help the Sarawak government and federal government to fight unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic which requires that we pull together unprecedented resources,” Dr Sim said.