Malaysia Healthcare Chronicles
Malaysia vs. COVID-19: Being “Boy Scout Ready” for A Healthcare Crisis
Malaysia has seen her fair share of pandemics including the Nipah virus in 1998, SARS in 2003, H1N1 in 2009 and MERS in 2014. That’s why when COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus 2019) began, we were ready for it.
Dedicated bodies such as the Institute of Medical Research are constantly on watch for the first sign of a potential outbreak and work alongside other bodies to respond to the situation accordingly.
With proper prevention methods and public education in place, Malaysia was able to maintain low numbers, especially during the first wave of COVID-19.
Learning from events in the past, the Ministry of Health Malaysia has appointed a public healthcare facility, Sungai Buloh Hospital, to be the National Referral Centre for Infectious Diseases. Even in the early stages, the Malaysian healthcare system instinctively engaged pre-determined protocols and measures to care for patients in a safe and regulated system.
It is no wonder that Malaysia ranks 18th overall in the John Hopkins’ 2019 Global Health Security Index. Our swift action to curb numbers in the early stages also earned us a vote of confidence from the World Health Organization, praising Malaysia’s performance during this time
From regular screenings at entry and exit points to having dedicated facilities to respond to patients, the country has cared not only for Malaysian patients, but even patients from other countries who tested negative initially. The Malaysian healthcare system has demonstrated commendable preparedness in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and will continue to protect all within the country with steadfast dedication.
4 Comments
[…] was prepared for the outbreak. The Government of Malaysia, particularly The Ministry of Health was quick to implement preventive measures and constantly provided the nation with awareness on safety steps to curb the […]
[…] Malaysia from Singapore. With rising concerns for the nation’s safety, the Malaysian government commenced control and prevention initiatives to arrest the spread of the […]
[…] feet, sending us into a global lockdown. During the first wave of the pandemic, Malaysia managed to contain and bring down the new case numbers to zero for 10 days in a row. But how did we do it? Mainly […]
[…] up to this day, Malaysia had managed to contain the spread of COVID-19. After the first wave of COVID-19 began on 25th January 2019, the […]