KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — Former Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has refused to call himself a hero for his efforts to contain and bring down Covid-19 infections in Malaysia when it was in its zenith in 2020.

In an interview published today on news portal Free Malaysia Today, Dr Noor Hisham recalled the time when he and his team worked tirelessly in efforts to contain the Covid-19 virus when the first case appeared on Malaysian shores in February 2020.

He said he only saw himself as fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to him as the head of the health sector.

“This was the duty entrusted to me. It was not about me, but the effort to contain and reduce Covid-19 infections in the country,” he said.

Many remember the image of Dr Noor Hisham who appeared almost daily on television screens to update the nation about the spread of the Covid-19 virus both within and outside the country.

Noor Hisham recalled the pivotal moment on March 12, 2020, when Malaysia identified its first Covid-19 cluster linked to a tabligh assembly at the Seri Petaling Mosque.

“We were not informed (about the cluster) until I received a call from my colleague in Brunei, who told me that a man who had just returned from the gathering there tested positive,” he said.

As infections soared, the situation grew increasingly dire, with 400 out of 500 people from the tabligh gathering testing positive for Covid-19.

Facing a limited capacity for testing, the Health Ministry resorted to a drastic measure.

“We had to apply public health protocol and advised the then prime minister (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and the Cabinet that perhaps the best option was to implement a lockdown,” he said.

The MCO was effective initially, with only one Covid-19 case reported on July 1, 2020.

However, this success was short-lived as infections surged again following the Sabah state election in September 2020.

Malaysia saw its highest daily infection rate on August 26, 2021, with over 24,000 cases, and its highest daily death toll on August 11 of the same year, when 393 fatalities were recorded.

“The number of infections was extremely high, and so were the deaths. The situation was so dire that the Forensic Department ran out of space to store the corpses,” he said.

Noor Hisham explained that, as the director-general of health, there was no opportunity for rest since managing Covid-19 required constant, around-the-clock attention.

“Even though I had time at home, managing Covid-19 was a 24-hour job,” he said.

He acknowledged that during that period, the physical, emotional, and mental strength of frontline workers was severely tested. It was essential for him to offer them guidance and support.

“They were the last line of defence — if the frontline workers became infected and couldn’t help control or contain Covid-19, the whole country would be affected,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham retired on April 21 last year, with one of his deputies, Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, succeeding him.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/31/former-health-d-g-dr-noor-hisham-reflects-on-malaysias-covid-19-struggle-says-hes-no-hero/148786