Overcrowding in the Emergency and Trauma Department (ETD) and the shortage of ward beds in government hospitals are interconnected issues stemming from the “double burden of disease”.
This refers to the rise in patients with non-communicable diseases (NCD) , such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity presenting with complications overlapping with waves of infectious diseases (such as dengue, influenza, Covid-19, or respiratory infections) occurring currently.
We see various initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to address this overcrowding issue through diverse approaches.
MOH is implementing a multi-tiered strategy to tackle the root causes of the problem.
