In defence of MOH and its DG

At a difficult time like now, perhaps it’s good and helpful to bear in mind these two familiar quotes:

“There’s a place and time for everything and everyone. Don’t try to force into your life what’s not yet supposed to fit in”.

“To everything, there is a season … a time to speak and a time to be silent”.

In the midst of the most horrendous crisis to confront the human race, it is indeed appalling that our Health Ministry’s top guy and his team at the forefront to keep us safe and save lives have been viciously attacked for being incompetent and “out of touch”.

I am referring to the criticisms from Dr Musa Mohd Nordin from the KPJ Damansara Specialist Centre against Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and his staff.

The private hospital doctor has accused health authorities in the country of failing to protect medical frontliners battling Covid-19 following reports that some 30 healthcare workers caught the disease in the line of duty.

Musa’s top grouse was that the medical staff were ill-equipped with the necessary protection including personal protective equipment (PPE).

That was a valid criticism but then again, Malaysia is not the only nation facing a shortage of PPE. Many other developed countries, including the UK, Italy, Spain and South Korea, also faced similar issues.

Still, I find that it is a fair critique from Musa but he should have stopped there.

What many find obnoxious and condescending on Musa’s part was his scathing remark that “the DG and his top officers in the ivory towers of Putrajaya must descend to ground zero, the Covid hospitals/Pusat Kesihatan Daerah/Klinik Kesihatan and see and feel the pain and misery of doctors/nurses/allied health professionals bereft of basic PPE to shoulder the nursing of critically ill patients in ICU and ramp-up screening with 17,000 tests/day”.

That was really unnecessary, Musa! It was a new low, especially coming from a fellow medical practitioner.

I might not be in the frontline but I am able to assure myself that our DG must be receiving daily feedback from his doctors and staff in the many ICUs and red zones throughout the country.

One can only imagine the heavy burden on Noor Hisham’s shoulders and the cross he has to carry daily. He must have many sleepless nights, worrying about a hundred and one issues he has to tackle the next day.

Noor Hisham and his team must have shed many tears, too, to see their fellow Malaysians dying from Covid-19 and must have pondered what they could have done better to save their lives.

Daily, there must be many new issues and problems faced by the DG and his dedicated team which you and I will never be able to comprehend. The least we can do is to stop adding to their mounting stress and tension.

I am glad to read what a friend posted on Facebook yesterday as he joined me and many others in ticking off the private hospital doctor.

“I have no issue with Dr Musa's complaint about PPE. My issue is the manner he chose to channel that complaint.

“A person of his standing must be well aware of the repercussions of choosing such a medium, which quickly translated into many other netizens unfairly bashing the DG and escalating it into a totally unnecessary debate, not to mention the fact that such unhealthy debates also lead to a loss of confidence in our public health system.

“Let this serve as a lesson for people like Dr Musa to channel their grouses professionally, and to the appropriate channels, with the decorum expected of any medical professional”.

Exactly my thoughts and I’m sure that of many others too. Well said, my friend.

I have watched regularly on Astro Awani the daily updates from the DG and his calm and collected demeanour impressed me.

Noor Hisham was also very clear with facts and figures – only a hands-on leader has every single detail on his fingertips.

Also commendable is the manner he fielded questions from the media – always a gentleman who never loses his cool even when faced with difficult and irritating posers.

Above all, I see humility, a great hallmark lacking in many leaders in Noor Hisham. When told on one occasion that he was considered a hero by Malaysians, the DG brushed it aside and humbly said that “I’m just doing my job”.

Seriously, I think that Noor Hisham should be appointed the health minister once this pandemic is over. Who else is more competent to replace the current “warm water” health minister (I’m still unable to recall his name) than Noor Hisham?

No, this is not to request that Noor Hisham enters politics, a profession he is unlikely to fit in. But he must be assured that he will remain health minister for the next 15-20 years, at least, by subsequent governments.

A special tenure as senator in the Dewan Negara can be arranged for him or if not, he can be de facto health minister by appointment with ministerial rank.

The DG is only 57, relatively young. He could easily serve till 72 or 77. Top on his mission is to prepare Malaysia for the next pandemic – there will always be new strains to come.

For now, let me say this to all critics of the DG and MOH. Please remember that there is a place and time for everything and everyone and that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent.

That is also a reminder to myself. If I am unable to help, I should shut my trap and not be part of the problem.

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com. - Mkini