Page 8 - Berita Sunway - Issue 69
P. 8

HEROES OF SUNWAY

                                                                                                              THE


               FRONT LINERS







                                                                                   OF COVID-19


                                                              When
                                                             it comes to
                                                          adapting to the new                    hen the MCO was enforced in
                                                        normal, I always believe     W         March, Malaysians were told to
                                                        practice makes perfect. A                 stay home in a bid to flatten
                                                       repetition of something that
                                                       initially started as unusual,         the curve of COVID-19 infections.
                                                        will eventually become a       However, not everyone had the privilege
                                                              norm.                 of staying safely at home. From healthcare
                                                                                         professionals to hotel employees and                                                                                                               2
                                                                                 zookeepers, front liners from different sectors
                                                                                 were required to work to ensure essential and
                                                                                            critical services were provided for.

                                                                                Berita Sunway pays tribute to three Sunwayians
                                                                                 who worked tirelessly in the front lines during
                                                                                 the MCO. They share their working experience,
                                                                               the challenges they faced, as well as their hopes
                                                                                          for Malaysia under the ‘new normal’.

                                                                        Low always ensures all personnel in the A&E and medical tent wear
                                                                        appropriate PPE, as they deal directly with potentially infected patients.
                                                      Dr Low Kwai Siong,  Working around the clock also takes a mental, physical, and emotional
                                                   Sunway Medical Centre   toll on medical front liners, so Low makes sure his staff has adequate
                                                    Consultant Emergency   time to rest and eat during their shifts by alternating their working hours.
                                                 Physician and Head of The
                                               Accident & Emergency (A&E)   “Staff are divided into two teams to ensure that they do not cross-infect
                                                           Department   each other. Social distancing among the staff is also a must in common
                                                                        areas,” he said.
                                                      1
                  SERVICE ABOVE SELF                                    When there was a shortage of PPEs worldwide, SunMed employees took
                                                                        it upon themselves to sew isolation gowns and make face shields for the
                  As consultant emergency physician and head of the Accident & Emergency   front liners, on top of their existing job duties.
                  (A&E) department at Sunway Medical Centre (SunMed), Dr Low Kwai   He describes his experience as a front liner throughout the MCO period                          3
                  Siong’s primary responsibility at work is to oversee the workflow of the   as an eye-opening one. “Being able to see my patients well and smiling
                  A&E department.                                       as they walk out from the hospital is the best part of my job. Additionally,
                  With the pandemic, Low’s daily schedule just got busier. He now   the tremendous teamwork and spirit among the A&E team members is
                                                                        truly exceptional. Great things in medicine are never done by one person.
                  has regular meetings with SunMed’s COVID-19 Taskforce to create,   They're done by a great team of people,” he said.
                  implement and brainstorm on SOPs, based on the latest guidelines for
                  the management of COVID-19. Besides that, he does his clinical rounds   While he was worried for the lives of his family, loved ones, and especially
                  in the A&E department and the medical tent to screen new patients for   for the patients during the period when the death toll was rising daily, Low
                  COVID-19, before handling enquiries raised by ward managers on the   said he was proud to be part of the front liners who were able to serve
                  latest COVID-19, management and SOPs.                 the nation.

                  "For me, seeing to the well-being of the healthcare staff in Sunway   Welcoming the strict enforcement of the MCO, Low said public awareness
                  Medical Centre is especially important as they are the backbone of the   on the importance of new norms – proper social distancing in public areas
                  whole system; they are irreplaceable,” he said.       and hand hygiene – is key to preventing and controlling COVID-19.



                  8  |   BERITA SUNWAY   |   JUL—SEP 2020
   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13