TIRELESS healthcare workers must be recognised for their “patience and compassion” in dealing with Covid-19 cases, said a recovered patient.

Lawyer Rosli Dahlan was one of the earliest people to test positive for Covid-19 in early March. He was Patient 33 in the Health Ministry’s record.

He said that during his treatment, he saw doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers allow themselves to come into daily contact with patients, who they tended to with patience and compassion.

“They do their jobs without hesitation. They are the unsung heroes in our battle against Covid-19,” the 58-year-old told The Malaysian Insight.

The government should give them proper recognition once the pandemic has ended, Rosli said.

He also thanked all the doctors and healthcare providers who cared for him, especially from the Petaling district health office and the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

“There are too many names to remember and many I never found out because they were in hazmat suits when they attended to me.”

Rosli was warded on March 2 at the Sungai Buloh Hospital along with his wife. He was discharged on March 15.

“Many asked what I did when I was quarantined. The truth is, I wasn’t always in bed as I was reading, answering e-mails and performing my daily prayers. It wasn’t an excruciating experience.

“However, I did witness the sacrifices made by the frontliners, even before the nationwide lockdown was ordered by the prime minister.”

Yesterday Rosli, on behalf of the Nama Foundation, handed over RM150,000 to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to be used for Covid-19 victims.

He said the money was for the Covid-19 fund set up to provide relief for families affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Muhyiddin thanked Rosli, who is also a trustee of the Nama Foundation and a board member of UDA Holdings Berhad, for donating to the fund.

The fund has raised RM19.52 million as of last Friday.

In early March, several members of UDA’s top management contracted the virus and were mostly quarantined at the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

UDA has since donated to upgrade several quarantine wards at the Sungai Buloh Hospital and other hospitals as well.

Malaysia recorded 170 new cases today, taking the total number of those infected to 3,963, with 63 deaths. 

Overall, 1,321 people have recovered from the virus. – April 7, 2020.