KUCHING, Sept 30 — Allegations of figures for the capacity of bed usage at the Sibu Hospital being manipulated is not true, said Sarawak Health director Datuk Dr Mohamed Sapian Mohamed.

This, he said, was because the hospital management would increase the number of beds for the treatment of Covid-19 patients according to current needs based on the increase in patient admissions.

"The data (bed capacity) is dynamic, meaning there is an increase and decrease in the number of beds for Covid-19 treatment according to current needs, so the figure for total bed capacity will also change from time to time,” he said in a statement today.

He said that, as of today, a total of 275 active cases are being treated in Covid-19 wards at the Sibu Hospital, including 147 patients in categories three, four and five.

"The Sibu Hospital has 642 beds and there are still 157 beds available,” he said, adding that 52 trained contract nurses and 10 medical officers from the Peninsula would be deployed to the Sibu Hospital from October 5 to December 24 to overcome the shortage of manpower problem. — Bernama