Kota Bharu, Apr 23 (Sin Chew Daily) — Various local Chinese organizations responded to calls by Tzu-Chi Buddhist group in Kelantan to transport and assemble over 200 multipurpose foldable beds at a low risk COVID-19 quarantine and treatment center (PKRC) at the hall of state youth and sports center over the past two days.

Since January, the Kelantan Tzu-Chi group has collaborated with nine local Chinese groups in the state to help set up PKRC.

As the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing in the state, leading to hospitals and quarantine centers running out of beds, the state health department seeks the help to increase the number of PKRCs to house COVID-19 patients.

On April 21, Kelantan recorded 2,917 new cases and four existing PKRCs in the state are now full. The state health department has to set up three more PKRCs immediately.

Zeng Lu Shi, the person in charge of Kelantan Tzu-Chi, said the group had kept the multipurpose foldable beds used for flood victims in 2014. 

These beds have been kept for emergency until now.

"When we started to help set up PKRCs as requested by the state health department in January, we sought help from the Chinese community to join us and to donate items needed. A total of nine Chinese organizations have pooled funds to buy 140 sets of bed sheets and pillows," she said.

This time, the state health department requested for help again, as it needed more beds, pillows and bed sheets.

A total of 11 Chinese organizations sponsored bed sheets and pillows.

They are the youth wing of Kelantan Hokkien Association, youth wing of Chin Kang Association, youth wing of Eng Choon Association, youth wing of Heng Ann Association, youth wing of Nan Ann Association, the Kelantan branch of Young Malaysians Movements, the Kelantan branch of Malaysia Buddhist Association, Kelantan Chinese FB group, Kelantan Buddhist Amulet Association , youth wing of Kelantan Chinese Chamber of Commerce and youth wing of Kelantan Chinese Assembly Hall.

Apart from the above organizations, a Chinese couple also donated 40 sets of doubledeckers and 80 bed sheets.

"We added 75 beds for the PKRC in Pengkalan Chepa last week. This time we help set up a new one to accommodate 200 patients," she said.

Dr Azman Yakob, deputy director of Kota Bharu Hospital and head of PKRC in Kelantan, thanked the medical staff, Chinese groups and Kelantan Tzu-Chi for their assistance and generosity.