SERDANG – Front-line health workers holding the fort at the Covid-19 Integrated Quarantine and Treatment Centre 2.0 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) set aside their own sadness at not being able to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha with their families, so as to keep patients’ spirits up.
Engku Mohd Nazri Engku Mansor, a medical assistant supervisor at the facility’s DG Hall, told Bernama that patients were miserable in the days leading up to the celebration today, and became overwhelmed with sorrow during the takbir raya this morning.
“It is very upsetting to not be with your family during the celebration. So, we gave out Raya delicacies to try and cheer up the patients.”
As a former Covid-19 patient himself, Engku Nazri said he empathises with those at the centre, where patients have access to counselling services provided by the Health Ministry.
“Patients sent here are initially confused, before feelings of sadness and worry take over in the following days. We need to be good at gauging their emotions and reading their facial expressions so that we can help them manage their feelings and try to make them happy.
"Our spirit has to be strong to fight the virus. If our mind is weak, the virus will suppress us and our cells will ‘change’. When I was infected, I was dispirited at first, but I bounced back after talking with former Covid-19 patients who were also treated at quarantine centres.”
Asked about health personnel’s workload given the rise in infections, he said they are always reminded to keep fighting and uphold their responsibility.
“You must go on and cannot turn back. That is what I tell my subordinates. We cannot afford to throw in the towel when cases are on the rise. We have to accept this challenge.”
About 50 patients at the MAEPS quarantine centre performed Aidiladha prayers at 8am, while some 1,300 frontliners participated in the takbir raya.
Traditional menu items like rendang, nasi impit and kuah kacang were served. – Bernama, July 20, 2021
