MAY , 2021 | THE HEALTH
03
p19
Lung cancer and non-smokers Screening is important for the high-risk nonsmoker as there are other causative factors besides smoking that cause lung cancer
p20
Improve vaccination pace through solidarity Fair distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine requires local and global solidarity to ensure no country is left out
p21
Is an H-index of 13 shameful ? It is misleading to compare the research in African Arabian countries as they lack resources
p22
Specialist , medicine man , drug pusher We need more enlightened health practitioners who can give better alternatives and provide a more wholesome approach to our health problems
p24
Artificial Intelligence and robotics in healthcare There are fears that machines will one day take over the world but let us remember that AI and robots have served us well and are here to stay
p25
Combating the pandemic This second of a two-part article explains how 3D printing can play a part in battling the Covid-19 pandemic
p26
Overcoming connectivity barriers Efforts must be made to realise the growth potential of HealthTech and EdTech in Malaysia
p27
Diving for health Besides experiencing a whole new world underwater , scuba diving offers a great deal of health benefits
| The Health says ... |
The final lockdown
THE number of Covid-19 positive cases has reached record levels , and our healthcare system is at breaking point again .
The last time we were in this situation , MCO 2.0 was implemented on Jan 11 in several hotspot states and districts . The daily numbers reduced to around 1,000 by March , resulting in lifting the lockdown on Mar 5 .
As soon as it was lifted , the numbers started to rise again to above 3,000 daily , resulting in MCO 3.0 on May 12 . The question is , how many more MCOs do we need to keep controlling the pandemic ?
The cost to the economy is colossal . During MCO 1.0 in March 2020 , the country suffered a daily loss of RM2.4 billion , and during MCO 2.0 , it was RM300 million .
We dread to think what the daily loss would be under MCO 3.0 . It will likely run into hundreds of millions of ringgit again .
It cannot be denied that Malaysians are suffering from pandemic fatigue . It must be challenging to adhere to movement restrictions and SOPs for more than a year . It is a drastic change to our lifestyle . We saw people going out in droves to the malls , restaurants and other public places when MCO 2.0 was relaxed .
There was nothing wrong with that except that the compliance to the SOPs was clearly lacking . Every day , we saw hundreds of people being fined for breaching the SOP despite the fines being increased from RM1,000 to RM10,000 . Of course , it does not help when we see VIPs and even Ministers openly breaching the SOPs .
Some argue that the authorities may have loosened MCO 2.0 too soon , citing the social , sports and education sectors as examples .
But are lockdowns the answer to containing the pandemic ?
Some countries have handled the pandemic quite well without the need for frequent and lengthy lockdowns . Australia and New Zealand impose lockdowns within a district the moment there are just a few cases .
We must be more disciplined in adhering to SOPs . They are there to save lives and the economy . It is appalling when people attempt to illegally cross State borders , organise large gatherings or venture out of their homes even when they have symptoms .
There is also the need to speed up the vaccination rollout . Those who fail to turn up for appointments without valid reasons or those who spread fake news and cause vaccine hesitancy should be severely dealt with .
Let MCO 3.0 be our final lockdown .