Page 8 - Berita Sunway - Issue 69

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