SG PETANI – A young man died due to Covid-19 after posting several messages on Facebook that he would be sedated and placed on a ventilator to aid his breathing.
Muhammad Hanizam Azman, 30, passed on four hours later, while he was ventilated at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital here on Friday night.
“He managed to post messages to his loved ones and family members before Covid-19 got the better of him,” his cousin Khairul Hairuzi Osman told the media.
He said Hanizam was an aspiring singer who took part in various competitions.
Hanizam had contracted the virus from a family member four days earlier, and after complaints of breathlessness, Khairul Hairuzi rushed him to hospital for treatment.
Such incidents have made Tourism Langkawi president Ahmad Pishol Isahak despondent, saying that the suffering inflicted by Covid-19 is real and widespread.
“The government has stepped in to help, but we as a community must also help each other. Kita Jaga Kita,” said Pishol, who urged people to advise their neighbours, friends and families to observe strict physical distancing and use masks even at home.
Kedah Health Department director Dr Othman Warijo also called on the public to look after one another, with the state having witnessed a surge in cases in the past month.
As for the vaccination rate, Dr Othman said 53.4% of the state’s population has received their first dose as of yesterday.
Kedah has an estimated population of 2.1 million people.
Dr Othman said 20.3% of the adult population, or those aged 18 and above, has yet to register under MySejahtera.
“We estimated that they either do not have the resources such as smartphones, poor internet connectivity, or live in rural areas. We hope their neighbours can help.”
Residents need to do more if they want to head off the increasing caseload, he said.
Kedah has the sixth-highest number of Covid-19 infections, with 65,240 cases as of yesterday. – The Vibes, August 15, 2021
