Fact 01:
“Globally, we are now seeing a PLATEAUING in the number of COVI-19 cases & deaths, with declines in most regions”, says Dr Tedros, WHO Director General.
Fact 02:
But the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Malaysia is PEAKING!
Fact 03:
If we calculate the cumulative cases per million population, Malaysia is the worst performing country in the region.
Fact 04:
In 2020, Malaysia had 113,010 cases.
Until May 2021, we have registered 339,990 case (75% of total cases)
In 2020, Malaysia had 471 deaths.
Until May 2021, we have registered 1,290 deaths (73% of total deaths)
Despite more than 1 year of living with the coronavirus, the National Security Council, Ministry of Health and other Ministries and Agencies have failed to contain and control the COVID-19 pandemic.
Countries which were worst affected by the pandemic like, the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel have now ben able to mitigate the deadly effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Until and unless we institute drastic actions we are doomed to mirror the Indian COVID-19 catastrophe.
What led us to this most deadly and disastrous predicament?
1. Failed political and health leadership and governance
2. A colossal failure of FTTIS
3. A gross failure to ramp up and scale up vaccine coverage
The Way Forward
1. The Prime Minister (PM) must rein in his Ministers to ensure that they strictly obey the SOP, do not flaunt the 3Cs and 3Ws and set a good example for the rakyat to emulate.
2. The PM must only sanction an informed and articulate person, preferably a Public Health expert to undertake the task of Risk Communications to inspire and empower the rakyat to do the right things and to do things right.
3. Since the present leaders in the MOH have failed to tame the Coronavirus since the onset of the third wave in September 2020, it is mandatory for the future socio-economic stability and harmony of the nation that they relinquish their role and be allowed to rest.
4. The PM should now mandate his Health and Sciences Covid-19 Advisory Group of Experts (EAG) under the stewardship of the previous Director-General of Health, MOH, Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Abu Bakar Sulaiman, to take over the leadership of the Situation Room aka CPRC (Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre)
5. He will be assisted by 5 illustrious members of the medical fraternity which includes:
a. Prof Dr Rosmawati Mohamed, Master of Academy of Medicine Malaysia (AMM)
b. Dr Mary Cardosa, Former President of Malaysian Medical Association (MMA)
c. Datuk Dr Fadzilah Kamaluddin, Former Director of the Institute of Medical Research and representative of the Public Health Physicians’ Association Malaysia (PHPAM)
d. Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President of Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM)
e. Datuk Dr Christopher Lee, Former Deputy DG of MOH and Infectious Disease Physician.
6. The EAG will further be fortified by the crème de la crème of physicians from the academia, the military, other medical professional associations and the private healthcare sector.
7. Since January 2021, the EAG has crystallized a SUSTAINABLE COVID-19 STRATEGY WITH SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO MITIGATE AND CONTAIN THE PANDEMIC.
8. The COVID-19 solution pivots on the 4 pillars of the pandemic response:
a. Regaining the trust of the rakyat
b. Reset the FTTIS towards a warp speed response
c. Real time digital solutions that is collaborative and integrated for greater speed, skill and equity
d. Enhancing vaccine confidence with rapid and scaled up delivery
9. The EAG with the authentic whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach should be empowered to operationalize this master-plan to:
a. Protect the surge capacity of our healthcare services and fortify the resilience of the healthcare response.
b. Systematically ease the MCO to continually benefit livelihoods, the national economy and protect from social and psychological disorders.
c. Exit us from the pandemic.
d. Put in place preparedness plans for future COVID-19 waves or other pandemics with a stronger public-private partnership.
e. Harness the innovations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4) to support the public good, especially by addressing health and social challenges.
10. The nation is now at the precipice of an unprecedented national disaster. Until and unless the PM makes this right call, the nation will be trapped in a yo-yo of pandemic waves and doomed to a vicious cycle of MCOs destroying the lives and livelihoods of our rakyat and beloved nation!
#DemiNegara
#GodBless Malaysia
Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
14 May 2021
