january-february , 2021 | The Health

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Eco-biological clock A minimalistic approach to health and lifestyle can do us good

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Right timing for financial immunity Zurich Takaful ’ s new insurance plan is a product that is more customer-centric

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The digital ecosystem during Covid-19 Interconnected information technology resources that can function as a unit are useful during the Covid-19 pandemic

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Improving access to healthcare Malaysia can use the case-mix Diagnosis- Related Group ( DRG ) system to improve efficiency , quality of care and costs control in healthcare

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Evidence-based health promotion Health promotion is an essential and robust tool to engage with people to address public health issues

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Casualties of the pandemic Stress , fear and anxiety are causing a strain on relationships and tearing families apart

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Rediscovering life – reboot and refresh We need to sustain our mental agility by continuing to stimulate our minds

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Remain vigilant Amidst the shorter quarantine period of 10 days , we must continue to watch out for symptoms and observe SOPs

| The Health says ... |

overwhelming the country ’ s healthcare system .

Government hospitals cannot cope , frontliners are severely overworked , and healthcare equipment in short supply .

This needs to be addressed urgently . In the recent RM15 billion aid package , only RM800 million was allocated to the Ministry of Health ( MoH ). Of this , RM150 million was for hiring healthcare personnel .

The government pays a monthly allowance of RM600 to healthcare frontliners and RM200 to other frontliners . It also made a one-off provision of RM500 and RM300 to them , respectively .

Is this the best we can do to thank our overworked heroes risking their lives daily for the country when millions in taxpayers ’ funds are being spent for less essential purposes elsewhere ?

Tough times call for tough measures . Stop giving priority to projects like community halls when what really should be done is expanding government hospitals , purchasing more healthcare equipment and taking care of frontliners .

Not only is the allocation for healthcare inadequate , some ministries are not up to the mark in performance . The confusing flip-flops by some ministers on the Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs ) under the Movement Control Order ( MCO ) do little to help fight the pandemic .

The lack of planning is appalling . The SOPs were revealed at 5.00 pm on Jan 11 , just hours before the MCO came into effect on midnight . Indeed the relevant ministries could have planned the details in advance .

Shouldn ’ t they have learnt from the mistakes from the March 2020 MCO ? By early November 2020 , the daily positive cases had already breached 1,000 . Wasn ’ t that enough indication to prepare for another MCO ? If you fail to plan , you plan to fail .

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has stressed the importance for speed .

“ Every week , I make it a point to stress to my cabinet ministers that all these initiatives must be implemented swiftly . There is no time for delays ,” he has said .

Are the ministers even listening to the PM , or are they too preoccupied with politics ? Some seem to be more interested in holding on to their posts than carry out their duties .

In fact , why do we even need a record 32 Ministers and 38 Deputy Ministers ? Just downsize the Cabinet and pass the millions in savings to healthcare and other businesses affected by the pandemic . This is also an excellent time to trim our bloated civil service of 1.6 million , which costs taxpayers RM60 billion annually .

Productivity is the key , not numbers .