H1N1 Pandemic and The Public Awareness

H1N1 Pandemic and The Public Awareness

Apparently, our world is undergoing a hardship due to the outburst of H1N1 diseases… The disease seems to be spread in a neck-breaking speed all over the world and of course our beloved motherland which has a highly mobilizing society will never be the exceptional case as such... Day by day there will be a tremendous number of visitors and tourists visiting Malaysia and nevertheless Malaysia students that study in oversea who returning home. So, It is not so hard to understand and theoretically of sound mind that transmission of virus can easily invade through the defense system of our country in spite of the various precaution measure that had taken by the authority. No matter how you try to stop that, either demanding tourists to fill the health report or placing dozen of medical staff in major airport of the country. It’s just like finding a ring in Atlantic Ocean or fighting in the losing battle!

Despite of the big response from the government, I myself as a normal Malaysian never take it seriously since the term of “H1N1” introduced 2 months ago. I believe that most, if not all of Malaysian will have the same feeling like me and undoubtedly stand beside me when asked. We are all whom have gone through the horrifying SARS pandemic in 2003 and feel that our country will always be the lucky one where hardly to find the life-threatening diseases spreading widely on our land, just like what we have experienced since that.. But incidentally, the truth has proven that we are all wrong… Just look at the hiking number of locally transmitted cases and the escalating death number due to the H1N1 and relating complication. Hospitals are crowded with patients along with flu symptom seeking for medication, schools that had been shut down in line with disease outburst, numerous schools, public service department and higher study institution which still struggling in dilemma, on decision whether to be closed or not. It’s full of chaos and mess now and we seems to be in the hot soup due to the lack of public awareness and proper preparation…

So what’s now? Shall we still think that it’s not our problem and continue to hold government to account in all of these? Once again blame the government on not doing their obligation well? Although it’s undoubtedly that the government play a dominant role in stopping spreading of H1N1, but all efforts will be end up in smoke without public alert and awareness in such context. In light of this, efforts to stop such disease will always be a herculean task for the authority since the habit of concern about ourselves has not been cultivated. Who will be the one responsible for your own health if not yourself? Again, there is still the same festering problem of our society--- the take-it-easy habit that forged since last century. And obviously we are the jail-bird regarding to this no matter in what happening in our country, but not only the prevention and precaution of disease instead. In view of this, when will be the time to take initiative for a betterment and great chance, Malaysian??