Collaboration between university and government agencies during pandemic

Why is the issue of collaboration raised? Firstly, there is no doubt that rigid bureaucratic boundaries do exist, and perhaps enhanced during crisis. University hospitals have played an important role in the fight against COVID-19 but are barely mentioned as part of frontline asset. University hospitals typically function as district hospitals with tertiary care set up. They are public funded, stand-alone set ups and provide subsidized care. The pandemic has enhanced its ties with the primary network. Using UKM as an example, this lecture will highlight how we managed to collaborate with the Ministries of Health and Higher Education during the earlier part of the crisis. We also had close links with the Non-Governmental organisations, local authorities, MOSTI, pharmaceutical companies, individual philanthropists and of course with our sister teaching hospitals via the KHUAM network. HCTM is a hybrid hospital managing COVID 19 cases including some high-profile clusters and UKM laboratories had contributed in reducing the RT PCR testing backlog at the government laboratories. Good communication and coordination are the key to a successful outcome. It may be unfathomable for the rest of the world that Malaysia can perform well when other established countries with greatest resources and wealth falter in the face of this global peril of the new millennium. Whether we fare better or worse in global ranking, the fact remains that the fate and wellbeing of the rakyat is being threatened by unseen forces, not only by autonomous ravaging virus particles but also a global economy at the brink of collapse. How we fared as a country so far is a question of national pride. There is much to do, and much to learn to forge ahead with our fragile future as a country. The prayers to save Malaysia in the past have been answered, and with grace of the Almighty may we given the strength and wisdom to overcome the many challenges ahead from outside and within.