COMMENT | This past year has been an emotional, financial and medical ‘roller-coaster-ride’ for all of us in Malaysia.

2020 has brought much anguish, despair and grief to many, especially those in poverty, pushed into poverty or have lost their jobs or a family member due to Covid-19. While we have done reasonably well in managing the pandemic, it has exposed many of our limitations.

Never before have we as a nation or health service faced such a prolonged outbreak for which, even now, we can see no immediate end. We recognise our health care professionals are fatigued, and the system is not able to cope. This long-drawn-out pandemic has eaten into the emotional reserves of our health care professionals. They need our compassion and support.

We need to reflect on the coming year and ask ourselves where we are going as a nation with Covid-19. We cannot keep looking at and be affected by the day to day numbers of reported cases detected.

I would suggest we stop looking at these numbers as they are just a factor of the scale of testing...