25,122 recovered COVID-19 patients receive treatment for long COVID - MOH

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 25,122 recovered COVID-19 patients discharged from government hospitals were given appointments for follow-up treatment at health facilities as of last month, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

He said there were five main symptoms of COVID-19 long-term effects or long COVID namely fatigue (75.1 per cent), shortness of breath while doing certain activities (63.1 per cent), cough (14 per cent), difficulty sleeping (8.6 per cent), and anxiety (3.8 per cent).

According to him follow-up rehabilitation services can be found at 41 Rehabilitation Medicine facilities for long COVID patients namely at 32 government hospitals, university hospitals (three), private hospitals (four) and one rehabilitation centre under the Ministry of Human Resource.

"Comprehensive respiratory services specifically for long COVID patients are also provided at 21 government hospitals nationwide. To date, a total of 15,564 COVID-19 patients in categories four and five who were discharged from hospitals have been referred for this special service," he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address on behalf of the ministry in Dewan Rakyat today.

Dr Azmi who is also the chairman of COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force for Children informed that 1,180,323 (33.2 per cent) of children aged between five and 12 years old have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday.

He appealed to parents and guardians to send their children to get their COVID-19 jabs at nearby vaccination centres before the school session begins to protect them from severe COVID-19 infection.

-- BERNAMA