BETONG: “Nak nulong hero kita di barisan hadapan, bajet ciput sekalipun sik jadi masalah, yang penting niat ikhlas.”
The saying came from Betong Community College director Shairul Al-Suzana Shahidan which means “To assist our frontliners, even on a small budget is not a problem as long as the intention is sincere.”
He was referring to his team’s success in making 1,000 face shields for the frontliners battling Covid-19 outbreak.
According to him, the initiative was taken to meet the needs of frontliners in Betong.
“We think face shields are very important now, especially for the use of medical frontliners in facing Covid-19 patients and the general public.
“Apart from that, face shields are cheap and easy to make. I admit that it is an advantage for us since we do not have a big budget to contribute something more expensive.
“However, my team has an incredible passion and good intention to help the heroes fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The face shields have been handed over (to the frontliners) … we are grateful and I would also like to thank Maksak Wanita Betong (MWB) who helped in the making of face shields, especially the council’s chairman Ani Isek, deputy chairman Dayang Madinah Abang Yaman and Health Bureau chief Lina Lee,” he told Suara Sarawak yesterday.
He said one of the challenges in producing face shields would be the limited supply of materials here, especially rubber which needed to be ordered from Kuching and took about two weeks to process.
“However, while waiting for the arrival of the materials, we took the opportunity to complete other processes,” he said.
He added that during the making of the face shields, the team prioritised hygiene and other matters addressed by the government.
“I did not expect that with a few staff of the community college, the mission to complete 1,000 face shields was accomplished. At least there is a story of our own contribution in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis,” he added.
The face shields were handed over to Betong Division Health Officer and Public Health Specialist Dr Johnny Pangkas, Betong District Police chief Supt Zamry Alli as well as the Medical Pathology Laboratory Unit and Saratok Hospital Blood Bank.