Page 189 - MALAYSIA HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD

intensive care and the use of respirators. More ICU beds and respirators
were used for treating COVID-19 patients, depriving other non-COVID-19
patients of treatment opportunities. Besides, with more COVID-19 patients
needing intensive care, more ICU-trained HCWs were closely required to
monitor the patients’ conditions. The shortage of ICU-trained human
resources has, however, impeded the establishing of more ICU beds. This
understaffed problem was worsened, particularly when HCWs were either
infected with COVID-19 or instructed to undergo home quarantine.
Mobilisation of HCWs from other states was also impossible as these states
were also facing the rise in the COVID-19 cases and flooding.

The soaring number of COVID-19 cases reported in December 2020 was also
attributed to the mandatory mass screening of foreign workers, a public
health initiative by the Malaysian government which aimed to identify and
isolate the COVID-19 cases to prevent the spread to other foreign workers
and subsequently to the community. The sudden increase in the COVID-19
cases identified from the mass screening programme has increased the
public health teams' burden where a massive amount of contact tracings
was to be conducted. A longer time was needed to complete the contact
tracings; thus, resulting in delays. Furthermore, manual processing of
contact tracing and lack of manpower has also contributed to the delays.

9.3 Striking the Balance between Health and Economy

Imposing repeated MCO lockdowns could severely affect the economic
sectors, leading to various businesses struggling to survive and countless job
losses. People’s bread and butter have been gravely affected, with the
impoverished and needy group being hit the hardest. A prolonged lockdown
is therefore not economically sustainable. However, opening the economic
sectors and allowing workers to return to work in the midst of 3-digit daily
reported new cases put the Malaysian government in a double-edged sword
situation in making such decision while balancing the health and economy.
Premature lifting of the lockdown could backfire, triggering a higher surge
in the number of new COVID-19 cases, especially in the workplace, if
workplace SOPs were not properly adhered to by both employees and
employers.

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNT
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