14
ProJECT
The Health Xtra | march-april-may, 2020
All in
four days
From Malaysia’s
largest convention
centre to hospital
Norafi zah showing Muhyiddin the
‘MAEPS Journey Through the Decade: An
Agro-Wonderland Tale’ coffee table book.
By PeaRl lee
F
Our Days. This is what it took to convert Malaysia’s largest
exhibition and convention centre into a temporary hospital
to house Covid-19 patients.
This happened at Malaysia agro exposition Park serdang
(MaePs) in anticipation of a third wave of cases.
Two halls in MaePs – hall a (9,600 sq m) and hall C (3,600
sq m) have been turned into a quarantine and treatment
centre to treat Covid-19 patients with light symptoms or
those who are asymptomatic.
Those familiar with event management will agree turning a
convention centre into a temporary hospital within four days is a
remarkable feat. What is even more amazing is this was achieved
during the Movement Control Order where roads, shops and busi-
nesses were shut and people were grounded at home.
MaePs chief operating offi cer norafi zah rahman said her team
will remember this achievement for a long time.
“We are used to setting up events in these halls. From automo-
tive shows to travel exhibitions to concerts, we have seen it all. But
we never imagined that we would one day ‘build’ a hospital and
that too within four days,” she told Twentytwo13.
it all began on March 24 when she received a phone call from
the national Disaster Management agency (nadma).
“They wanted to conduct a site visit at 3pm the same day to look
at the possibility of building a temporary hospital.
“i was at home. Many of my staff members were also work-
ing from home. Luckily we had a skeletal crew at MaePs who
guided the nadma offi cers, showing them the facilities available,”
norafi zah said.
By 8pm that day, she was told a steering committee meeting
would be held the next day and it would involve representatives
from nadma, health Ministry, armed Forces, Civil Defence Depart-
ment, Works Ministry and MaePs.
“Wednesday arrived and we were told the Prime Minister had
decided to turn MaePs into a temporary hospital. We saw China
building a hospital from scratch within 10 days but how do you
convert a convention centre into a hospital?
“Later we studied some pictures from China and the us on how
beds were arranged in buildings for Covid-19 patients and that
immediately gave us a better perspective.”
But norafi zah felt merely placing beds in an open space would
mean patients would not have their privacy and she quickly
mooted the idea of placing these beds in cubicles instead. With
a clearer picture of how the facility should look like, it was all
systems go for the staff at MaePs and by Thursday night the fl oor
plan for hall a and C was complete.
But while the mechanism had been put in place, the bigger
headache now was to secure the required items for the facility.
“about 150 people were involved – from suppliers to contractors
to even cleaners. We had to source for items fast and we had to get
clearance from the police to ensure our vendors could not only
enter their business premises but also move around to source for
our items.
“hardware shops were closed and we had to convince them to
open so we could get the items.
“it was certainly a challenge as there were roadblocks and
some of our suppliers were stopped and had to wait for us at police
stations before permission was granted to them,” norafi zah said.
“it was a race against time as everything had to be ready by
sunday. The time we took to set up this hospital was faster than
any of our normal events which usually take about a week,” she
said.
“But we managed to get the suppliers to send us 400 beds and
mattresses (for hall a) in time while the blankets and bedsheets
were provided by the health Ministry. We tried our best to meet
the requirement.”
norafi zah said Mardi Corporation chief executive offi cer zaidi
shahrim played a crucial role as he was present daily to ensure
they were on track. her crew, she said treated the task like any
other event, but with the safety aspect (for would-be patients)
given paramount importance.
Offi cers and inspectors from the Public Works Department
and health Ministry also conducted stringent tests to ensure
the building had enough power supply, including standby gen-
erators. items installed in the premises, including shower heads
and towel hangers, had to be safe for patients. The facility is fully
air-conditioned and is equipped with a nurse call system, an emer-
gency resuscitation area, a clinic, a pharmacy and x-ray facilities.
“We are glad that corporations like Telekom Malaysia agreed
to provide free WiFi while nestle sponsored cereals and drinks
for all staff , including our staff who will be on duty when the
hospital opens.
“There are also other sponsors who have committed to be part
of this initiative and we are thankful to all of them.”
Other amenities at the temporary hospital include:
• Computer
• surau
• CCTVs
• Changing areas
• rest areas equipped with massage chairs
By sunday night, hall a was complete and Prime Minister
Tan sri Muhyiddin yassin who visited MaePs on Monday was
impressed.
“not many know this, but MaePs was the brainchild of the
Prime Minister when he was agriculture and agro-based Minister
over a decade ago.
“When we met on Monday, he was glad to see that MaePs could
be repurposed as a makeshift hospital when the country needed
a facility to place Covid-19 patients,” norafi zah said, adding work
in hall C which will be able to house 200 patients is in progress.”
and while the hospital will continue to exist as a standby facil-
ity, norafi zah said they viewed it as a national service.
“if MaePs is used as a hospital, we will not be able to hold any
events here. Once all patients are discharged, the halls need to be
closed for one month for disinfection and will only open upon
getting the go-ahead from the health Ministry.”
“although we have bookings for the hall, i believe people will
understand that national interest supersedes all,” she added.
since its inception in 2008, MaePs has been a favourite location
for event organisers as it boasts huge columnless exhibition halls
which are fully air-conditioned complete with washrooms and
ample open space, making it convenient for transportation and
logistics. — The Health Xtra