Warning signals should be sounding that we are on the wrong track in the war against Covid-19 pandemic as a week after the new government, as we are not only having more daily new Covid-19 cases than Indonesia, we are having more daily Covid-19 deaths than India.

Indonesia has more than eight times the population of Malaysia, yet for nineteen consecutive days, Malaysia is having more daily Covid-19 cases than Malaysia. Yesterday, we had 20,396 Covid-19 cases and Indonesia has 5,403 cases – about a quarter of that of Malaysia.

What is completely unacceptable is that we are also losing out to India in daily
Covid-19 deaths. India as over 42 times’ population that of Malaysia, yet for the second day, there are more daily Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia than in India?

Yesterday, there were 336 Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia but India had 218 Covid-19 deaths. The day before, 363 people in Malaysia died of Covid-19 but India’s daily toll was 120.

On May 6, India reached its peak of daily Covid-19 deaths when 414,422 people died of the new coronavirus that day. Now, it has been reduced to 217 deaths, which is 0.05% of its peak of 414,422 Covid-19 deaths.

Malaysia reached its peak of daily Covid-19 fatality with 393 Covid-19 deaths on 26th August and since then we have been ranging between 249 to 363 daily Covid-19 deaths, uncertain whether we are to reach new peak or begin a descent of daily Covid-19 deaths.

Why are we doing so poorly in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic, even losing out to Indonesia and India.

Our World in Data website documented that for September 4, 2021, the total Covid-19 cases per million population for the three countries are: Indonesia 14,921.08, India 23,674.79 and Malaysia 55,663.54. The daily Covid-19 cases per million population were: Indonesia 24.34, India 30.69 and Malaysia 581.43.

Data for Covid-19 deaths per million population are no better. For total Covid-19 deaths per million population, the data are Indonesia 490.19, India 316.15 and Malaysia 545.61. For daily Covid-19 deaths per million population, the data are Indonesia 1.95; India 0.22 and Malaysia 11.04.

The new Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin should convene a urgent meeting of experts in the public and private health sectors over the high Covid-19 death rates, especially Brought-in-Dead cases, which reached a peak of 107 out of 336 Covid-19 deaths yesterday.

This is the fourth day that Malaysia has recorded triple-digit figures for Brought-in-Dead Covid-19 deaths and this trend should be halted immediately.

Khairy had promised to be transparent and to provide more detailed Covid-19 data to the public.

He can start by giving a state-by-state breakdown of the daily BID Covid-19 death cases and to target the reduction of BID cases to daily single-digit figures by the end of his First Hundred Days as the new Health Minister.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Sept. 6, 2021)

Kita patut bimbang bahawa kita berada dalam arah yang salah dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19 memandangkan seminggu selepas mempunyai kerajaan baharu, kita bukan sahaja mencatatkan lebih banyak kes berbanding Indonesia, tetapi kita juga mencatatkan lebih kematian akibat Covid-19 berbanding dengan India

Kita patut bimbang bahawa kita berada dalam arah yang salah dalam perang melawan wabak Covid-19 memandangkan seminggu selepas mempunyai kerajaan baharu, kita bukan sahaja mencatatkan lebih banyak kes berbanding Indonesia, tetapi kita juga mencatatkan lebih kematian akibat Covid-19 berbanding dengan India.

Indonesia mempunyai lapan kali ganda lebih ramai jumlah penduduk berbanding Malaysia, namun untuk sembilan belas hari berturut-turut, Malaysia mencatatkan lebih banyak kes Covid-19 setiap hari berbanding Indonesia. Semalam, kita mencatatkan 20,396 kes Covid-19 sedangkan Indonesia mencatatkan hanya 5,403 kes — kira-kira satu perempat dari jumlah kes di Malaysia.

Apa yang lagi tidak boleh diterima adalah apabila kita juga mencatatkan lebih banyak kematian akibat Covid-19 berbanding dengan India. India mempunyai 42 kali ganda lebih ramai penduduk berbanding dengan negara kita, tetapi untuk hari kedua, kita mencatatkan lebih banyak kematian akibat Covid-19 berbanding dengan negara tersebut.

Semalam, terdapat 336 kematian akibat Covid-19 di Malaysia, India mencatatkan 218 kematian akibat Covid-19. Sehari sebelumnya, 363 orang di Malaysia meninggal dunia akibat Covid-19 tetapi jumlah korban harian India adalah 120 orang.

Pada 6 Mei, India mencapai puncak kematian Covid-19 harian apabila 414,422 orang meninggal dunia akibat wabak tersebut pada hari itu. Sekarang, angka ini telah menurun kepada 217 kematian, yang merupakan 0.05% dari kemuncak 414,422 kematian sebelum ini.

Malaysia mencapai puncak kematian Covid-19 harian dengan 393 kematian akibat Covid-19 pada 26 Ogos dan sejak itu kita berada di antara 249 hingga 363 kematian akibat Covid-19 setiap hari, tidak pasti sama ada kita akan mencapai puncak baru atau memulakan penurunan harian kematian akibat Covid19.

Mengapakah pengalaman kita dalam berhadapan dengan Covid-19 ini sebegitu buruk sekali, malah lebih teruk berbanding dengan Indonesia dan India?

Laman web Our World in Data mencatatkan bahawa untuk 4 September 2021, jumlah kes Covid-19 per sejuta penduduk untuk ketiga negara adalah: Indonesia 14,921.08, India 23,674.79 dan Malaysia 55,663.54. Kes harian Covid-19 per sejuta penduduk pula adalah: Indonesia 24.34, India 30.69 dan Malaysia 581.43.

Data untuk kematian akibat Covid-19 per sejuta penduduk juga tidaklah lebih baik. Per sejuta penduduk, Indonesia mencatatkan 490.19 kematian, India 316.15 kematian dan Malaysia 545.61 kematian. Untuk kematian baharu akibat Covid-19 per sejuta penduduk, Indonesia mencatatkan 1.95 kematian, India 0.22 kematian, dan Malaysia 11.04 kematian.

Menteri Kesihatan baharu, Khairy Jamaluddin perlu mengadakan pertemuan segera pakar-pakar kesihatan dari sektor kesihatan awam dan swasta untuk mengatasi angka kematian akibat Covid-19 yang tinggi ini, terutamanya kadar kematian di luar hospital (Brought-in-dead atau BID), yang mencecah kemuncak 107 kes daripada 336 kematian semalam.

Semalam adalah hari keempat negara kita mencatatkan kadar BID tiga angka dan perkara ini perlu dihentikan segera.

Khairy telah berjanji untuk bersikap telus dan memberikan data Covid-19 yang lebih terperinci kepada orang ramai.

Beliau boleh mula dengan memberikan pecahan kadar BID setiap hari mengikut negeri dan mensasarkan kadar BID dalam julat satu angka menjelang seratus hari pertama beliau sebagai Menteri Kesihatan.

(Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 6 September 2021)