Malaysia is currently the nation with the highest number of positive cases in Southeast Asia.  A two-week partial lockdown has been initiated in the country in mid-March – part of its strategies to break the chain of infection – which was unfortunately met with some detractions and irresponsible flouting of rules.

Medical front liners in the country have resorted to using self-made gear in order to protect themselves at this time. The dedicated personnel are considered a high-risk group and are appealing for additional funding to help mitigate the situation. It was recently reported that some US$113 million would be allocated to purchase medical equipment such asventilators and ICU apparatus, additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 laboratory screening requirements, in efforts to tackle the virus; another US$22 million will also be allocated for the appointment of 2,000 new employees at the Malaysian Ministry of Health, on a contract basis. 

Commenting on the severity of the situation, Dr. N. Ganabaskaran, President of the Malaysian Medical Association told local media that Malaysian hospitals may not be able to cope if COVID-19 cases continue to rise – the tally stands at 3,662 cases and 61 deaths as of April 5, 2020.

ASEAN member state Indonesia is similarly short on protective gear for its medical front liners, aside from a general lack of transparency when it comes to releasing pertinent information about patients. This means that medical workers are unaware if they are treating a COVID-19 positive patient or not, which could potentially put their lives, at that of many others, at risk.

However, Indonesia is working to ensure its medical front liners’ safety. About 105,000 PPE sets have been delivered across the country and its Athlete’s Village, built for the 2018 Asian Games, has been converted into a temporary medical facility which can reportedly house over 7,000 people. Additionally, some members of the public have taken the initiative to raise funds to help support the Indonesian healthcare system in dealing with the crisis.

With countries around the globe helping each other and within its own population in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can hope to fight this deadly virusand restore normality, together.