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Hospice service challenges during MCO: Roadblock,

curfew and no interstate travel

Some of the challenges we face are the roadblocks.

I was especially worried whether the authorities and the police would recognize our service.
One of our colleagues did get stopped because the police were not aware of what Hospice
Services is all about. We try to travel with the letter of authorization within the curfew period of
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There was a time when we had to travel at midnight for a patient during her last
final hour. One of the concerns was if the children were able to travel to their mother’s house at
midnight. What we did was, we called the police station, asking if it was possible for them to
travel to visit their loved ones. They were very kind enough to allow us to do so. I wrote an
official letter for them, and they had to go to the nearest police station to get it approved, before
seeing their mother for the very last time.

No interstate travel was another challenge as well. We had a patient, Mr. See who was
diagnosed with kidney failure and had only one wish: to return to his hometown in Kuala
Kangsar, Perak. The MCO has made his journey somewhat complex in terms of spending time
with his family. We decided to write a letter and appealed to the authority and prepared patients
with subcutaneous injections and continued even to provide service to them, because Kuala
Kangsar is a remote area, with no other hospice to cover that area. Within thirty-six hours, he
passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones. We do try to make the impossible possible
and the family was very grateful.