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KUALA LUMPUR: Last month’s upward trend in daily new Covid-19 cases marked the start of Malaysia’s third wave of infections with Sabah showing signs of becoming a Covid-19 hotbed.
Yesterday Malaysia recorded a whopping 871 new cases, the highest number ever reported in a single day since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, and total cases rose to 20,498 and active cases to 7,049.
Health workers and volunteers, who had enjoyed a respite just before the resurgence of cases last month, are forced to put on their personal protective equipment (PPE) once again and fight their own fear, sadness and frustration while they work tirelessly on the “battlefield.” detection and treatment of Covid-19 cases.
Among them is Dr. Saraswathy Subramaniam, 29, a doctor in the Emergency and Trauma Department of Tawau Hospital, Sabah, who, according to her own words, almost lost her life because of the Covid-19 that she had contracted while she was in hospital. service at Semporna Hospital, where she was sent in early September after an increase in the number of cases in Semporna.
The young doctor, who is from Kuala Selangor, tested positive for Covid-19 on September 29.
He said he became very weak and lost his sense of smell. She also developed inflammation in her heart and nearly passed out. She was hospitalized at Tawau Hospital until October 15 and is scheduled to resume her duties at Semporna Hospital this week.
WORKING DAY AND NIGHT
“To be honest, I was not saddened when I tested positive for Covid-19 because I was prepared to face any risk the moment I was told to report to work at Semporna Hospital.
“In fact, I am grateful to have come out ahead … there are so many other patients whose conditions were worse than mine,” Dr. Saraswathy told Bernama, adding that despite the ordeal she went through, she cannot wait to return to the “battlefield”. ”To help his colleagues deal with the growing number of active cases.
He said that the current critical situation in Sabah has taught him how valuable life is.
“It is a challenge for us to treat patients with Covid-19 because when they are admitted to the hospital, they are already in the fourth or fifth stage of the disease and have various complications,” he said.
According to Dr. Saraswathy, the front-line staff at Semporna Hospital are forced to stop sleeping as they have to work day and night, as the hospital does not have the capacity to handle the overwhelming patient load.
It’s even more frustrating for those on the front line when patients “disappear” while waiting for the Covid-19 test result, increasing the risk of healthcare workers becoming infected with the virus.
As avant-garde, Dr. Saraswathy and her colleagues do their best to stay safe by adhering to standard operating procedures (SOPs), reducing contact with their patients as much as possible, providing prompt treatment to patients showing symptoms, and practicing a high level of self-hygiene.
ALREADY SEEN
In a tweet on October 12, Health Director General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the battle of the vanguards in Sabah is reaching a “critical moment” and that a follow-up strategy is being adopted. contacts and community surveillance to treat infected people and break the chain of infection.
Many health workers from green zones across the country have already been dispatched to the red zones in Sabah and the mainland.
Dr. Mohd Afiq Mohd Nor, an emergency medicine specialist at Universiti Malaya Medical Center (UMMC), said he is experiencing a sense of déjà vu as he sees all the preparations that UMMC is making.
“We are repeating what we did in March (this year) … we have to reassign staff, set up tents to conduct screening and again teach everyone how to put on PPE and remind them to follow SOPs,” he said.
Although hospital leaders are now in a better position to deal with the crisis due to the experience they had previously gained, they still cannot help but worry about their exposure to infection.
Dr. Mohd Afiq said that after seeing colleagues who tested positive for Covid-19 gasping and going through quarantine, his own anxiety level has multiplied even though he takes all safety precautions into account.
“We are always reminding each other not to be careless when handling a patient or equipment, as we cannot know when we will be exposed to the virus,” he said.
Dr. Ahmad Samhan Awang, Medical Officer at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital Emergency and Trauma Department, said that the level of physical and mental stress faced by medical personnel cannot be underestimated.
He said that physical stress is caused by increased workload when colleagues have to self-quarantine due to exposure to Covid-19 cases, while mental stress is caused by patients hiding their history of close contacts. .
“We have no choice but to put up with it and continue to encourage our colleagues to stay strong because Malaysians trust us, the front-line, to flatten the infection curve,” said the father of two, adding that he is prepared to face any problem. risk should he be sent to Sabah, which needs experienced medical staff and resources.
RED ZONE
Meanwhile, 17 members of the Tinagayan Youth Club (Kelab Belia Tinagayan or KeBaT) have been stationed in the operations center of the Bubul Ria PPR housing project, a Covid-19 red zone in Semporna, since October 11 to offer their cleaning services, disinfection and food delivery activities.
KeBaT President Fazlan Thomas, 32, said they decided to volunteer their services after requests for help from other non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Health (MOH), as Semporna Hospital faced a staff shortage. after several employees tested positive for Covid-19. and had to be quarantined.
“I announced on social media that we were looking for volunteers (to serve in Semporna) and I did not expect that so many people, even from Sarawak and the peninsula, would show interest,” he said, adding that all the volunteers were under the supervision of MINSA and, as such, they must comply with the SOPs.
Between the ages of 17 and 40, the tasks of the volunteers include disinfecting the surroundings, delivering food to patients and managing the logistics and documentation of the Bubul Ria PPR operations center.
“Inspired by our front-line workers, we decided to strengthen our mind and spirit to participate in this mission. Some of us actually stay temporarily in the flats at Bubul Ria PPR so we don’t have to go back to our families while volunteering, as there is a risk of infection, ”Fazlan said.
As the nation’s leaders return to the battlefield, here is a quote from Dr. Noor Hisham for you to ponder: “To all of our front-line workers, remember that we are the protectors of the health of the rakyat and the safety of our nation; we are the last line of defense of the country. We must keep our spirits and remain strong. We have a small window of opportunity to get it right and flatten the curve again. It’s now or never….”-Called
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