KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 ― Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today, manage to take time out for the operating theatre (OT) to carry out surgery on a patient, in spite of his months-long busy schedule in spearheading the Health Ministry's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Noor Hisham, who is perhaps best-known in recent times as the nation's calm, clear and informative voice on the latest Covid-19 updates every evening, said it felt refreshing to be carrying out surgery again.
“This morning I managed to squeeze in some time to perform a thyroidectomy for a patient diagnosed with right dominant multinodular goitre,” he said in a brief Facebook post, referring to the surgical procedure to remove all or part of the thyroid gland of a patient with thyroid gland disorders.
“Indeed it was refreshing to be in the operating room again to calm my 'withdrawal symptoms' and meet all my OT staff,” he added in a light-hearted remark that indicated his love for carrying out surgeries.
In the Facebook post, Dr Noor Hisham was photographed fully decked out with a surgical cap and surgical gown and gloves, along with the anti-Covid-19 “must-haves” in the form of a face mask and face shield, just like his other medical colleagues in the operating theatre.
He said he was also briefed on the workflow and standard operating procedures for patients who have tested positive for Covid-19 but have to undergo surgery.
Dr Noor Hisham became health director-general on March 1, 2013, and is also senior consultant surgeon in Breast, Endocrine and General Surgery at Hospital Putrajaya.
In the same Facebook post, Dr Noor Hisham took the opportunity to appreciate Malaysia's frontline workers fighting against Covid-19, and also did not miss out on the chance to again remind Malaysians that they must play their part for the fight against Covid-19 to be successful.
“Each day brings new lessons and challenges for us to prepare for the worst, and I am amazed by the ingenuity, strength and creativity being demonstrated by our frontline workers. As the pandemic crisis unfolds, it has taught us many valuable lessons of unity and solidarity. The onus is on us to take all precautionary measures and maintain good personal hygiene.
“We are able to connect with each other better and continue to work to explore new ideas and innovations. We are in our recovery phase; however, the real challenge starts now for the rakyat to comply with the SOP. The rakyat can make the impossible possible as there is now hope and light at the end of the tunnel to end the Covid-19 transmission,” he said.
In less than an hour after his Facebook post was uploaded, it had garnered 1,200 comments and 1,100 shares, along with 34,000 reactions from Facebook users, proving his popularity among Malaysians.
Malaysia today entered its third day of the recovery movement control order (RMCO) that will last until August 31.
After having braved through the movement control order (MCO) period imposed since March 18 and the subsequent more relaxed phase of conditional movement control order in effect from May 4 until June 9, Malaysia has been charting positive figures in terms of new Covid-19 cases recorded.
Malaysia on June 8 achieved a record low of just seven new Covid-19 cases, before maintaining the same figure the next day (June 9), and then making a new record with just two new cases on June 10 ― the lowest since MCO started on March 18.
