THE country’s healthcare system is at breaking point as declared by our Prime Minister and Health director-general.
This was something that was anticipated by a few people in the past because of the way Covid-19 was managed in the country.
There must be a better system especially with some experts already sharing that the non-severe patients be quarantined at centres outside the hospital and the more severe ones only needing admission.
Without plans like that, any country (let alone Malaysia or the United Kingdom) is bound to face shortcomings in their respective healthcare systems.
There has to be better coordination between the public and private sector in managing this and as someone rightly put it – we need to have those experts within their fields be part of the Covid-19 response team.
Perhaps it is also wise that this is done at regional levels. The emergency declaration may offer to cut through the red-tape as far as the private-public healthcare co-operation is concerned, however it should be done judiciously so that it does not silence those with ideas and know how that can help with the pandemic.
As our Honourable DG has put it – no one method is perfect. Engaging more people and ideas in this situation will definitely help.
There must also be fairness in governance. There are many who are still awaiting beds in hospitals but we see some high-profile individuals immediately admitted for care. The same can be said about testing and SOP compliance.
With the emergency declaration, it must be made clear that everyone is seen as equal in the eyes of the law, and the practice of keeping it that way, must be upheld even after the pandemic ends. We have to fight this pandemic as a united Malaysia and not in-silos.
With this declaration of emergency and movement control order (MCO), it is best that the health ministry take the time to prepare healthcare facilities and ramp up vaccination plans so that we can sort out this pandemic in the coming months.
This should and must be the LAST MCO that the country has to face. We need to remember that this has already cost the lives and livelihoods of many individuals – the government must come up with rescue packages urgently to save them. Many are overwhelmed and drowning – the healthcare workers with the amount of work and patients to attend to and the people with the financial and economic costs of the pandemic.
The power now solely rests in the hands of the government to responsibly bail Malaysia out of this situation. – The Vibes, January 12, 2021
A concerned Malaysian
