This was the clarion call made by health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah today when he visited ministry personnel at Hospital Putrajaya on the first day of Aidilfitri.

It is routine for Noor Hisham to go on Hari Raya rounds to cheer up healthcare personnel and show his support for frontliners.

“The healthcare personnel have been battling for a long time, almost 16 months. Most of us are mentally and physically tired, but if we do not help to break the chain of infection, many in the community will be infected,” he told reporters after his visit.

He said the ministry was prepared to face the latest wave of the pandemic, which has seen a surge in cases and the emergence of new variants.

He reminded the people to stay at home if they have no important matters to attend to outside and to always abide by the SOPs.

Dressed in light grey baju Melayu, Noor Hisham spent about 30 minutes at the hospital.

An assistant medical officer at the hospital, Mohamad Zahir Omar, 27, said he was sad at not being able to celebrate Hari Raya in his hometown but was grateful for the opportunity to serve the country and the people on this auspicious day.

Matron Kamsiyah Krosnin said she had worked on seven consecutive Hari Raya but took it as a call of duty.