By Alya Nadiah
Many of us are now faced with the threat of life and death on the corona virus pandemic that is infecting most countries around the world, but those front liners particularly health and medical staff are putting their life at risk on the line to treat patients.
Due to high demand of body shields from hospitals and medical centres, IIUM is currently involved in a project called “IIUM fights Covid-19”, where volunteers are sewing protection gears for the front liners stationed in IIUM Medical Centre (IIUMMC), government hospitals (Ministry of Health) Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah (PKD) and Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK).
The protection gears include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), face shield and head cover.
Aimed to assist our front liners all over Malaysia, this project has been going on since the announcement of the extended Control Movement Order (Phase 2) on 25 March.
Up until today, 60 body PPE, 2,300 face shields and 1,000 head covers have been completed with the capital cost of RM10,000 and the sweats of IIUM volunteers.
“We hope that by preparing these items it will ease the burden and the job of our front liners since many of the protective gears are highly needed,” the Principal of Mahallah Asiah, Ir. Dr. Khairayu Badron said.
The Deputy Rector of Student Development and Community Engagement, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Hasan has initiated the move in a collaboration with Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA) alongside the Academic Staff Association (ASA).
This project is run in three places, the body PPE in sewing room, Wadi Budi, the face shield in MPH Mahallah Asiah, and the head cover in MPH Mahallah Bilal.
It takes one hour to complete one body PPE and 15 minutes to get a complete face shield and a head cover.***
