What Does H1N1 Tell Us About Our Leaders?

You know in a time of crisis that we are faced with now... one of the things which would make a big difference would be the type of leadership we have.... at every level. So far, this is what I see.

1. Our leaders say the development of human capital is the way forward. What about preserving the human capital we already have? Many doctors, nurses, lab staff, hospital assistants are already stretched to the limit in this current H1N1 epidemic. I find it surprising that not all the staff are given the N95 masks to wear. The 3-ply mask is what's being used mostly as they also are short of the N95 masks. I find it appalling that the heads don't watch out for the welfare of these frontliners. If these frontline workers were to be incapacitated, then the rest of us would be at the mercy of any advancing diseases.
2. Hospital staff are stretched to the limit. Many of them are working longer hours than usual. Soon, many will be without adequate rest which will lower their immune system. These people need to be taken care of. Hire more contract doctors if necessary. Postpone all elective surgeries and other appointments which can wait and channel the docs from the other disciplines to helping their overworked colleagues, especially those in the Medical and Pediatrics. We cannot afford to have them succumb to the disease. Yet such concerted efforts are lacking in many of the hospitals.
   
3. Leaders in the hospital show no seriousness in overcoming the current pandemic. Family members, from young and old walk in and out of the isolation wards. No effort is put into stopping them. Very minimal effort also to get the message across to these kampung folks the gravity of the problem. Everyone wants to play the nice guy. So, rules are bent even when it is detrimental to the public's health. It's as though they are expecting divine protection on all these visitors. Again poor leadership!
   
4. I find it disappointing that a week plus after the statement that some RM2.6 million had been set outside for the purchase of thermometers and masks for schools, we still have not seen them. Most schools are still without adequate protection. And the Education Director General said that students were supposed to wear masks starting from the 11th of August, according to this report from the NST. Why is it taking such a long time for this to be implemented? Temperature taking? I don't see it happening where I am yet.
   
5. Then the leaders inform the public that anti-virals have been made available to the GPs and private hospitals. The real situation is right now even if you have the money, getting a ready supply of the anti-virals would prove to be a tricky affair. It's still best to take your chances at the General Hospitals if you are made really ill by the H1N1.
6. Meanwhile the figures continue to rise for infection and mortality. Instead of organizing political ceramahs, these leaders should be going into the kampungs to giving ceramahs on the importance of practising good hygiene, the dangers of the disease, etc, etc.... Yet we have UMNO trying to organize a 10 000 gathering in Johor... their time and resources would well be used to educate the public on the dangers of this flu.
7. Passing the buck... leaders are quick to claim credit for the good things and also grabbing what they can for themselves and their cronies. Yet in this crisis, I see a lot of passing the blame. They say the medical practicioners are at fault... how can you blame a Medical Officer for missing out on some of the cases if it's the 150th patient he's seeing and going without sleep the night before because he had been working the whole night? What has the 'leadership' done to reduce these overworked docs?
8. You get the impression that the leaders don't know what actually is going on and they seem to be shooting blanks. For example, the DPM said they are considering announcing the hotspots for infection... and a day later he said it wasn't such a good idea. Do their homework first. What hotspot? The whole country is the hotspot. What they do best now is talk and more talk and even more talk? RM3 million has been disbursed for masks, he said. Well, I haven't seen them in my school yet. And neither my son's. Sometimes, I don't know whether they are telling the truth. There are thousands of schools in the country. Who is to know which school has been given masks? Accountability, integrity, honesty... among the mark of good leaders somehow seem to be missing.
   
9. Then the couldn't-care-the-least attitude by some of the docs... many from the other departments prefer not to answer to the 'call-of-duty' as it will also expose them to the hazards of the flu. Many rather be the proverbial ostriches and remain in their corners.... the call the serve is greatly diminished in many younger docs now. Why not? Our education system is to be blamed. Moral absolutes have been bent for years and they are the products of that system.
   

Failed leadership.. that seems to be what we're experiencing for the past years. Decisive, good and strong leadership is something that is so sorely missed right now when we are faced with this tiny viruses which seem to have a mind of their own. If it's a man, you can organize a rally or demo or ceramah to push your agenda. With this virus... tough luck!