KUALA LUMPUR – Audio clips of voices in utter despair and desperation belonging to medical workers, who are on the frontline battling Covid-19, have been uploaded on YouTube by nation-building organisation Projek Bangsa Malaysia.
The 15-minute clip details personal accounts of healthcare workers illustrating the dire situation in the country’s hospitals swarmed with patients.
The frontliners who spoke in the video indicated the situation at hospitals was far worse than portrayed to the public, with some complaining of shortages in medical supplies such as oxygen and intensive care unit beds, as well as a lack of manpower.
Many frontliners also wept as they delivered their testimonies, some noting that they are on the brink of burnout from work exhaustion and airing concerns that the health system was on the brink of total collapse.
“Even the Covid-19 death rate that is announced in the mass media is not exactly reflective of the death rate that we are seeing. The deaths are much higher,” said one frontliner.
Another anonymous frontliner says there is a possibility that all hospitals in the Klang Valley will be fully occupied as private facilities are becoming full to the brim.
“If you think the ship is sailing, I think it has sunk, if you think houses are not yet burning, it’s already burning,” said another, figuratively.
The audio clips were taken from Projek Bangsa Malaysia’s live stream session on July 9, where medical frontliners working in the Klang Valley shared their personal accounts anonymously to avoid action being taken against them.
One doctor said the effects of the influx of Covid-19 patients extended to other unrelated wards, with patients having to delay urgent liver transplants to make way for the outbreak.
Others criticised the lockdown imposed by the government.
“We feel that a lot of policies are made without consulting us,” said one.
Another said a proper lockdown is “where everyone stays at home and there is proper financial aid, cash in their accounts, food in their homes, with testing and vaccinations.”
A medical worker said the lockdown only involved sectors that were not contributing to the rise in cases.
“The rise in cases lies in the industries that are not being locked down”
A frontliner also chastised the government’s move to allow the Sabah state elections last year where many who traveled were not quarantined, and later led to “half-baked” lockdowns.
Another said the government should look into strategies taken by other countries which proved effective.
“If the government has no idea, then please look at New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan. Try to obtain their strategy, and try to implement it in Malaysia.
“If you know a certain strategy works and you don’t do it, you are a #kerajaanpembunuh.” – The Vibes, July 12, 2021
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