Photo Essay - ¬œ Series 1 COVID-19 - ¬œ THE DREADFUL TRUTH By Muhammad Izzuddin Abd Radzak & Muhammad Mustaqim Khairuddin KLUANG, July 13 - We were moved even as our lenses recorded the grim scenes in the ICU of the Enche - Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital in Kluang, Johor - ¬œ of patients in a coma with wires and tubes connected to their bodies and the eerie silence broken only by the sounds from the vital parameter monitoring devices. We endured with bated breath the procedure of changing the breathing tube of a coma patient that had become blocked by thick sputum. We also saw the delicate procedure of turning a coma patient to the prone position to enable continued functioning of the lungs. There was great relief seeing two patients already said to be on the path to recovery, but their health condition did not permit their leaving the ICU just yet. One of them conveyed to us the wish for us to publish the pictures of the actual condition of COVID-19 patients in the ICU to let the people know how real and dreadful this disease is. Much of the battle against COVID-19 takes place in the hospital wards and ICUs, out of the public eye. So, when the Enche - Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital offered the opportunity for a closer look at what goes on in the confines of the hospital, BERNAMA did not hesitate to send us photographers on the assignment. The photographs are not intended in any way to intimidate the general public but to share with the community the efforts of the Health Ministry as well as the hard work put in by the hospital staff and health workers in saving lives. For more than a year now, the country has been - living with - the COVID-19 pandemic that has clearly affected all aspects of life. Like Malaysia, many countries of the world are engaged in a war against an invisible enemy - ¬œ the COVID-19 virus - ¬œ that has now mutated into many more aggressive variants. The social, political and economic structures as well as various aspects of life have been severely affected by COVID-19. Even so, a handful among the population continues to be indifferent to this deadly pandemic. These people do not comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP), thus contributing to the strain on the national health system. The country recorded more than 9,000 new daily cases for three consecutive days before registering 8,574 cases on July 12, and the cumulative number of cases has soared to 844,870. The number of active cases stood at 91,272 while 964 people were under treatment in intensive care (ICU) with 452 of them requiring assisted ventilation. Congestion at the ICUs in the main COVID-19 hospitals has prompted the government to set up so-called hybrid hospitals to help ease the overcrowding. The availability of expanded facilities to treat COVID-19 does not mean that the people can rest on their laurels. It is still very necessary to comply with the SOPs, such as wearing a mask, adhering to physical distancing and washing or sanitising hands frequently, for the COVID-19 - tsunami - can strike again. We are witnesses of this black history of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country but we should not despair. Let us together take care of ourselves to ensure that we and our future generations can enjoy life normally again. FOTO DESCRIPTION : KLUANG, July 13 - Ministry of Health staff moved the COVID-19 patient who was in a coma to a prone position at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Ward of Hospital Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom. - fotoBERNAMA (2021) COPYRIGHT RESERVED Photo Essay - ¬œ Series 1 COVID-19 - ¬œ KEBENARAN YANG MENAKUTKAN By Muhammad Izzuddin Abd Radzak & Muhammad Mustaqim Khairuddin KLUANG, 13 Julai - Sudah lebih setahun negara 'hidup bersama' wabak COVID-19, yang jelas memberi kesan kepada segala aspek kehidupan. Bukan sahaja Malaysia, malah banyak negara di dunia masih berperang dengan musuh yang tidak kelihatan menerusi mata kasar, virus COVID-19 yang kini muncul dengan varian-varian baharu. Struktur sosial, politik dan ekonomi serta pelbagai cabang kehidupan terjejas teruk akibat pandemik ini. Begitupun, masih ada segelintir daripada kita yang mengambil sikap acuh tidak acuh terhadap wabak yang membawa maut, tidak patuh prosedur operasi standard (SOP) sehingga menjejaskan sistem kesihatan negara. Selepas tiga hari berturut-turut kes baharu harian COVID-19 mencatatkan angka melebihi 9,000, kes baharu menurun kepada 8,574  pada 12 Julai menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan kes kepada 844,870. Kes aktif kini mencatatkan 91,272 manakala jumlah pesakit COVID-19 yang dirawat di unit rawatan rapi (ICU) seramai 964 orang dengan 452 daripadanya memerlukan alat bantuan pernafasan. Jurufoto BERNAMA diberi peluang oleh Hospital Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom (HEBHK), Kluang, Johor untuk melihat sendiri dan merakam gambar secara lebih dekat impak wabak COVID-19 kepada pesakit. Bukan bertujuan menakutkan masyarakat umum, tetapi sebagai ikhtibar untuk berkongsi bersama masyarakat tentang usaha yang dilakukan oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) dan bagaimana petugas kesihatan dan hospital bertungkus lumus melaksanakan tanggungjawab bagi menyelamatkan nyawa pesakit. Perasaan pilu menyelubungi jiwa jurufoto BERNAMA sewaktu melihat sendiri sebahagian pesakit dan lensa merakamkan kejadian di Unit Rawatan Rapi (ICU) termasuk yang terlantar koma, berselirat wayar dan tiub alat bantuan pernafasan di badan mereka serta bunyi daripada mesin parameter menjadi pemecah kesunyian di wad itu. Ketika merakam gambar yang jelas meruntun hati, kami berpeluang melihat sendiri prosedur menukar tiub pernafasan yang tersumbat akibat kahak pekat seorang pesakit koma. Kami melihat prosedur membalikkan tubuh untuk meniarapkan pesakit yang koma demi membantu paru-paru pesakit agar dapat terus bernafas. Suatu ketika, kelihatan sinar harapan apabila bertemu dua orang pesakit yang dalam proses pemulihan, namun keadaan kesihatan mereka masih belum mengizinkan untuk mereka keluar dari ICU. Seorang daripada pesakit itu sempat berpesan kepada kami untuk menyiarkan gambar keadaan sebenar pesakit COVID-19 yang berada di ICU supaya masyarakat sedar wabak ini adalah benar dan sangat menyakitkan. Disebabkan kesesakan ICU di hospital utama rawatan COVID-19 maka kerajaan mewujudkan 'hospital hybrid', di mana kesemua hospital dijadikan pusat rawatan pesakit COVID-19, bagi membantu mengurangkan kesesakan penggunaan wad dan ICU di hospital utama rawatan COVID-19. Namun itu bukan bermakna kita patut mengabaikan pematuhan SOP COVID-19, kerana bila-bila masa saja boleh berlaku 'tsunami' jangkitan wabak ini berulang. Kita semua adalah saksi sejarah hitam negara dan jangan kita putus harapan, bersama kita jaga kita demi memastikan kita dan generasi akan datang dapat menikmati semula kehidupan secara normal. KETERANGAN GAMBAR : Petugas Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia mengalihkan pesakit COVID-19 yang sedang koma ke posisi meniarap di Wad Unit Rawatan Rapi (ICU) Hospital Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom. - fotoBERNAMA (2021) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA *** Local Caption *** Photo Essay - ¬œ Series 1: COVID-19 - ¬œ THE DREADFUL TRUTH

photographed by: MUHAMMAD MUSTAQIM KHAIRUDDIN