Day: November 11, 2021

MIRI, Nov 10 — The airspace here has become familiar ground to the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department’s (JPBM) Sarawak Regional Air Base (PUWS) commander Robert James, who has been involved with COVID-19 logistics since early June this year.

Robert, 35, who is a co-pilot, said he and his team had carried out various rescue missions besides delivering COVID-19 vaccines to rural areas in Miri, including Long Lellang, Long Banga, Lio Mato, Long Jeeh and Long Jekitan.

“We also send staff from the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) to rural areas that experience an increase in COVID-19 cases, where the MOH sets up low-risk COVID-19 quarantine and treatment centres in those areas until the cases decrease,” he told Bernama.

He said the team faced various challenges, including bad weather, during operations to deliver vaccines to the rural areas here which took between 30 minutes to an hour from the base.

“When we face bad weather, it will affect operations. Our flight path has to be changed several times to avoid clouds bringing rain, and this involves using more fuel, requiring us to think fast on deciding where to land.

“While landing, meanwhile, there are various challenges we face such as if the landing site is filled with water due to floods experienced in some rural areas, it requires certain landing methods and a high level of concentration,” said the native of Telupid, Sabah.

Recounting an anxious moment, Robert said that at one point, his helicopter had almost run out of fuel as they had to make a diversion to avoid bad weather.

“However, with the help of the Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) air traffic control, we were still able to continue the flight safely until we landed at the base,” he said.

He said PUWS currently has two helicopters, namely an MI 171 made in Russia and an Agusta 139 made in Italy, which are always on standby for any emergencies.

Sharing his experience on joining the JPBM, Robert said back in school, he had three ambitions, namely to become a pilot, firefighter or teacher.

“When I was in high school and got to know more about becoming a pilot, I found that continuing my studies in the field was very costly, as I also came from a middle-income family. So, my interest shifted more towards becoming a firefighter when I was a teenager.

“After graduating from university, I applied for a position as a firefighter. I feel very lucky and grateful that after joining this team in 2012, I discovered there was also an air unit, and that fuelled me to pursue my dream of becoming a pilot,” he said.

He entered JBPM’s air unit in 2016 and underwent flight training in Kelantan and Johor before being commissioned as a pilot in October 2020, and began leading the PUWS in March 2021 as co-pilot.

On an interesting note, all three of his ambitions seem to have been achieved, as his wife serves as a teacher in Sabah.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Malaysia is considered as an unhealthy country as the number of people suffering from heart disease and obesity is high, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said health awareness among the people was also low.

“If you ask me, if Malaysia is now a healthy country, my answer is No. We are among countries that are tops in terms of obesity, heart disease and among the leading causes of COVID-19 death in the country is because most of the patients have comobidities or chronic diseases.

“In Malaysia one in every two people are obese and overweight, including myself, while one in four don’t practise physical activity and only one in 20, maintain healthy eating.

“According to official statistics, half a million adults suffer from depression. I am confident that this is lower than the actual figure,” he said while appearing as a guest on TV1’s Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme today.

As such, in realising Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS), he said Malaysians need to make a behaviorial change voluntarily and increase awareness to create a healthy nation without having to rely on the Health Ministry or the government.

He said a change in behavior and awareness to get a health check is the core of ANMS.

“If we want to depend on the Health Ministry alone to monitor standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance and issue compounds, we do not have the manpower. We want the country to succeed in terms of pandemic management,” he said while citing Japan which had successfully managed the pandemic through behaviorial change without having to issue compounds.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today launched the ANMS as preparation to help Keluarga Malaysia (the Malaysian Family) face and cope with the endemic phase of COVID-19.

The ANMS agenda is for a period of 10 years, from 2021 to 2030 and the implementation is to be divided into two terms; the first from 2021 until 2025, and the second from 2026 and will end in 2030.”

Meanwhile, Khairy said a committee has been established to bring together all the related ministries to report on the measures to be taken to realise ANMS at the ministry level.

He said besides the people’s health, the agenda also takes into account the quality of air and ventilation involving new buildings, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency