Hospital Kuala Lumpur medical officer Dr Muhamad Shazwan Sazali said although there is a rise in hospitalisations due to the recent Covid-19 wave, Malaysia’s vaccination programme has helped medical frontliners tremendously.
“Thanks to our vaccination programme, cases involving categories four and five are still considered bearable compared to the last wave,” he said.
He added that while the situation at hospitals is not as chaotic as it used to be when the pandemic began in 2020, medical frontliners still experience some pressure.
“Most patients receiving intensive care are those who have yet to be vaccinated; there are also those who still reject the vaccine despite the proof of its efficacy to alleviate symptoms,” he said.
He said it was “very frustrating” to see old people who have been denied the right to be vaccinated because their children were anti-vaxxers.
Asked what the government could do to ease the pressure for healthcare workers, Muhamad said they should absorb as many contract healthcare workers into the system in appreciation for their help during the fight against Covid-19.
Another medical frontliner, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the hospital environment has improved compared to when the pandemic first started.
She said the increase in Covid-19 screenings was unnecessary. The government should stop needlessly quarantining close contacts and screening.
“The only way to overcome this pandemic is to stop Covid-19 fearmongering, open up all borders and let us live life as before. Our focus should be more on advocating a healthy lifestyle like curbing obesity which is on the rise,” she told FMT.
She said Covid-19 was not the sole reason for hospitals being swamped; it was also due to people being nonchalant about their health.
“Covid-19 isn’t our main enemy, it’s the alarming rates of non-communicable health diseases and the people’s lackadaisical attitude towards their health… even the common flu can bring death to our diabetic and obese patients,” she said.
“The pandemic has increased the screening rate of diabetes up to 200% in just one year. That is an eye-opener and because of Covid-19 people have become more aware of their health.”
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