The world of Tzu Chi June 2020 (Vol.123)

TZU CHI 123 21 and refugees, who live in cramped quarters and lack access to balanced nutrition, positioning them as a high-risk group susceptible to infection. Moreover, migrant workers without work permits and refugees tend to flee from one place to another to evade prosecution from the authorities, placing them at a greater risk of contracting and transmitting the virus. These migrant communities are scattered across the country and are expected to return to work following the easing of MCO restrictions. Hence, we should exercise caution to prevent another wave of infections. “We need to think of ways to implement stricter testing. Migrant workers with work permits are eligible for testing in accordance with the stipulated protocol, while non-profit organizations are able to help by encouraging migrant workers without work permits and refugees, especially refugees who have been residing in the country for a prolongedduration, to undergo testing, as non-profit organizations have long been engaging with and gaining the trust of these groups,” opined Prof. Awang Bulgiba, who also proposed the idea of establishing an agency specializing in the monitoring and prevention of epidemics and pandemics within the country. He elaborated that theMinistry of Health (MOH) has already been tasked with managing numerous agencies and many other duties, in addition to leading the nation’s Covid-19 responses. Moreover, the MOH is treading on uncharted territory in terms of infection-control strategies. “Wewere admittedly less organized during the initial stage of the Covid-19 outbreak. To be fair, Malaysia has mostly been observing from the sidelines when various epidemics emerged in other parts of the world. Even if an epidemic reached our shores, the number of infections was low. Hence, we’re inexperienced in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic,” the professor revealed, at the same time highlighting the urgent need for epidemic preparedness efforts. Future concerns Prof. Awang Bulgiba observed that despite theinitialshortcomings,weeventuallymanagedto overcome our inadequacies with the cooperation of all parties involved. For instance, local tertiary institutions were roped in to provide support in terms of equipment and manpower and testing kits were acquired from abroad to meet growing demand for Covid-19 testing. “Malaysia has to strengthen its implementation of precautionary measures against epidemics. Although we’re powerless in stopping an epidemic, we have the option to prepare ourselves better for future outbreaks, while fostering closer collaboration with other countries in the public health sector,” he advised, before adding, “Presently, we have promising local researchers working on vaccine development, but we lack facilities and funding. This dilemma is worth taking into consideration for future progress.” Towards the end of the interview, the professor expressed his hope for the Malaysian government to work on identifying and consolidating areas that require improvement for the benefit of the people. Will Malaysia be able to leverage on its abundant natural resources and efforts in science, technology and innovation to invest in building a comprehensive epidemic prevention system to meet international standards and foster exchanges with other countries? As Malaysians, our strength lies in our unity – setting aside our differences and coming together as one to fight the pandemic. Are We Ready for the New Normal?