March , 2021 | The Health

| The Health says ... |

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Healthcare innovations amid the pandemic Scientific breakthroughs and collaborations can help address the unmet needs and well-being of people around the world

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Why shut recreation parks ? Exercise is one way to remain mentally positive and staying negative , Covid-19 wise , but yet many parks closed

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Vaccine boost National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme kicks off with 637,000 individuals registering for the free vaccine on the first day

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Mental illness fear The government should expand mental health infrastructure to support the urban poor in managing mental illness problems

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A blockchain advantage Blockchain ’ s application has been accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic and healthcare has benefitted

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Slow uptake by stakeholders The Malaysian Health Data Warehouse ( MyHDW ) would be an excellent data analytic centre if it realises its full potential

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Dr Rebecca Wong among world ’ s top scientists

• Malaysia grabs regional recognition at Global Health Asia-Pacific Awards

• Malaysian doctor in molecular fingerprint milestone

It cannot be denied the Sabah elections in September 2020 was a key reason for a new wave of Covid-19 infections in the country .

Before that , the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) had reduced the number of cases from about 200 in April 2020 to an average of 10 by August .

But following the Sabah elections in September , the number of cases started spiking alarmingly to above 700 by October . That started the third phase of the pandemic in the country .

The numbers had risen relentlessly to peak at 5,700 in late January . Thankfully , with the Movement Control Order ( MCO ), they have significantly reduced .

We are not going to delve into the reasons that led to the Sabah elections . Suffice to say , the polls could have been avoided if responsible politicians had realised the severity of the pandemic .

And now , as the numbers decrease , we are talking about holding a general election when the emergency is lifted . Looks like some politicians just don ’ t learn from mistakes .

Do we want to see another wave of infections ? Can the economy afford to suffer another lockdown ? More importantly , do we want to see our healthcare services overwhelmed again ?

Common sense dictates that holding a general election is not the most important thing now . There is no need to waste RM850 million in taxpayers funds on an election when small businesses , healthcare services and the economy are in dire need of funds .

When the government suddenly changed in March 2020 , it was due to politicians switching of allegiances , not via a general election . The person who purportedly commands the majority of Members of Parliament ( MPs ) gets to form the government .

Moreover , there is no guarantee a general election will result in a stable government if politicians keep betraying voters ’ trust by later switching parties . Clearly , a general election will be a waste of time and money .

Just convene Parliament as soon as possible , decide who commands the majority support to be Prime Minister , and get on with the job of fighting the pandemic and reviving our shattered economy .

Remember , the constant political bickering and greed for power will ultimately destroy our nation .