By Amanda L
KUCHING, July 25: The number of ventilated patients treated at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) increased to 2,975 last year from nearly 2,300 in 2020, reflecting the growing demand for critical care services in Sarawak, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian says.
“When you look at the increase in ventilated patients, it is clear that the demand for critical care is rising. We have to continue building our capacity to ensure these patients receive the care they need,” he said.
He said this when officiating the inaugural Sarawak Critical Care Conference 2026 at a hotel here today.
Held over two days under the theme ‘Sarawak’s Critical Care Milestone: A Symphony That Unites Minds, Saving Lives’, the conference brings together healthcare professionals and international experts to exchange knowledge and discuss the latest advances in critical care medicine.
Meanwhile, conference organising chairperson and head of the Medical Critical Care Unit (MCCU) Dr Rachel Chin Wei Ven described the event as a significant milestone for healthcare in Sarawak, saying it comes at a time when the demand for critical care continues to grow.
In her welcoming address, she said the Medical Critical Care Unit, established following her return from subspecialty training in 2025, has since evolved into a fully operational 13-bed facility at SGH dedicated primarily to caring for critically ill medical patients.
“Just last year, we took a small but hopeful step by establishing the Medical Critical Care Unit. Today, that small step has grown into a fully functioning 13-bedded critical care unit,” she said.
Beyond expanding capacity, Dr Rachel said the conference represents the first initiative of its kind in Sarawak to strengthen collaboration among the wide range of healthcare professionals involved in critical care.
She stressed that treating critically ill patients requires seamless teamwork across multiple disciplines, involving doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, physiotherapists, patient support assistants and cleaners.
“A successful recovery is never the result of a single doctor, a single nurse or a single machine. It is a complex, perfectly timed symphony where every member of the healthcare team plays an important role,” she said.
In addition, she said the conference places strong emphasis on holistic critical care, with sessions covering rapid sequence intubation (RSI), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), fluid stewardship, haemodynamic assessment, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), organ support and infectious diseases management.
The programme also features speakers from Taiwan and Singapore who will share the latest developments in critical care, including the growing role of artificial intelligence-driven systems in improving patient management and clinical outcomes. — DayakDaily
