Frontliners "separated" from families for call of duty on island

ROMPIN: Leaving the family and taking ferry before changing into smaller boats to reach their destination, while carrying along loads of equipment to set up "instant clinics", are among the sacrifices by health frontliners in helping to ensure the success of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme in Pulai Tioman.

A total of 50 health workers from the Rompin District Health Office traveled across choppy sea water for almost two hours in a call of duty for a one-week mission in Pulau Tioman to provide the COVID-19 vaccination for the island residents.

The programme in Pulau Tioman, which started last June 27, involved providing the Sinovac vaccine to 1,700 residents.

For Norizan Ab Hamid, 45, a dental therapist at the Rompin Health Clinic, she had no worries about leaving her family for her call of duty, but seeing her three-year-old son, Ahmad Muqri Mohd Nofion, wailing and struggling in his father's arm to be allowed go along with her on the day she left her house for the trip did wrench her heart.

"Indeed, it saddened me to leave him, but I have to be strong to fulfil the task entrusted upon me," she said.

After being informed about the mission in Pulau Tioman, Norizan said she discussed with her husband on the arrangements to be made at home, especially on managing the children, during her absence.

"Alhamdulillah, my husband agreed to take leave from work for three days, while my oldest child, Nur Auni, who is 18-years-old, will look after the younger siblings on the two days that he has to work.

"I have also stocked up the necessary food items at home. Since Nur Auni is at home, she can do the cooking," she said, adding that Nur Auni, a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) leaver, is waiting to get a place to pursue her studies.

She was met by Bernama at the vaccination centre (PPV) at Marina Awam Pulau Tioman.

Norizan said her neighbour had also assured her that she would also help to look after the children during her absence.

Meanwhile, a family physician at the Rompin Health Clinic, Dr Zulkifli Harun, said he is grateful to his in-laws for helping his wife to look after their five children, aged six to 12, in Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, during his absence.

He said this was the first time that he is away from his family after a long time .

Although working in Rompin, Dr Zulkifli, who is from Bera, said he commutes daily to work from Kuantan, which is about 150 kilometres away, unless circumstances do not allow him to do so.

"Certainly I didn't have to think twice, or give excuses to turn down, when assigned for the job. It's a responsibility which I have to do since I opted to be a doctor 15 years ago," he said.

A nursing assistant at Tanjung Gemok Health Clinic, Mohd Imran Abd Jabar, 41, said since arriving in Pulai Tioman, he kept in touch with his family through video calls.

"I have been making video calls to them every night, especially to put my two -year -old daughter Nuriz Aleeya to sleep because I'm the one who always put her to bed,"he said.

Mohd Imran, 41, said this was the first time he was away from his family for a long period of time.

"The longest I was away from my family was for three days when I went out station six years ago," he said, adding that, he was was informed about the mission in Pulai Tioman, where he is stationed in Kampung Tekek, three days before they left.

"Even though, it was at a short notice, it is not a problem for me because it is a job which has been providing me an income to support my family," he added.

-- BERNAMA