Johor Doctors Group Churns Out Protective Gear For Frontliners

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Volunteers sewing plastic surgical gowns to be donated to hospitals in Johor. (Johor Doctors Association pic)PETALING JAYA: A group of doctors in Johor have been working to meet the demand for protective gear for frontliners, which has been a precious commodity since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic
Dr Ng Kim Fong, president of the Johor Doctors Association, said the volunteer group has been manufacturing and distributing personal protective equipment with donations received from the public
A total of 56,677 N95 masks; 21,634 face shields; 30,100 standard face masks; 2,195 isolation gowns; and 1,300 plastic aprons have been distributed in the state so far
The monetary value amounts to RM150,000 in equipment such as suits, masks, face shields and hand sanitizers
The association works with other volunteer groups such as the Buddhist Tzu Chi in Johor Bahru, Ihsan Johor, and others, to sew the surgical and isolation gowns, hoodies and boot covers
They also donate to other states, depending on requests. ”So far we have sent 160 face shields to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Hospital Keningau in Sabah
Johor doctors, working with other groups, have distributed more than RM150,000 in equipment. (Johor Doctors Association pic)”We have also donated ear-guard bands to Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital Ampang, Hospital Sungai Buloh and to hospitals in Melaka and Penang. Now, we are in the process of sending PPE to Mercy UK too,” he told FMT
Among the hospitals in Johor who have received supplies are Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Sultan Ismail, Hospital Permai, Hospital Kluang, Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail in Batu Pahat, Hospital Kulai, Hospital Kota Tinggi, Johor Bahru public health laboratory, Johor district health office, Royal Malaysia Police and some prisons in the state
Ng said, the PPE supply is improving as hospitals there start to see a decrease in new positive cases
Johor is among the states hardest-hit by the crisis, with 667 positive cases and 17 deaths so far
The rate of infections has been falling and no new case was reported yesterday, compared to a double-digit rise from March 25 to April 18
Johor was the first state where a total lockdown was ordered at two villages in Simpang Renggam, Kluang, in March. More than 3,000 residents were confined to their homes, and all businesses closed. The lockdown was lifted on April 28
Ng said PPE demand remained high and he remained wary of a third wave of infections after the easing of restrictions beginning yesterday. The number of new cases might also increase if mass testing is carried out. “We cannot under-diagnose a disease,” he said
The association is seeking more donations to manufacture PPE for frontliners in the state to meet the constant demand. Donations may be made to Persatuan doktor-doktor Johor, Maybank account number 551285063191 with the reference: covid19 + full name. - FMT

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