Former Health Ministry deputy director-general Christopher Lee has expressed shock over Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's "joke" about seeking volunteers to fill containers that are temporarily used to cope with mounting Covid-19 deaths.
"Shocked that a menteri besar could say this when hundreds are dying each day.
"I've been doing clinical work for more than 35 years but three days ago, I still had difficulty telling a husband that his 31-year-old wife had died of Covid-19.
"To comfort and to provide empathy are the traits of a leader, yes?" the infectious disease expert tweeted.
Lee was reacting to a press conference by Sanusi (above) yesterday where the menteri besar reminded residents in Sungai Petani to abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) against Covid-19 as hospitals there have filled up.
Asked if there were enough containers to store the dead, the menteri besar replied: "Containers for the dead are enough, who wants to go in can give their names".
Meanwhile, Sungai Petani Umno chief Shahanim Mohamad Yusoff criticised Sanusi, stating that his comments were insensitive to families who have lost their loved ones.
"Don't make jokes when it comes to the issue of deaths. Please think of the feelings of those who have been affected by Covid-19," she said on Facebook.
"In Sungai Lalang, eight children have been orphaned after their parents died from Covid-19.
"In Teluk Nipah, Kota Kuala Muda, six children lost their mother and there are many more such cases," she added.
More than 10,000 people in Malaysia have died from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
As mortuaries hit capacity, hospitals have resorted to storing the dead in containers.
A total of 1,153 people have died from Covid-19 in the first six days of this month alone. - Mkini
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