PETALING JAYA: Some would see it as courting danger, but for Nurul Fitrah Marican (pix), serving as a volunteer at the frontline of the Covid-19 war means relief from loneliness.
“Having to work from home has been stressful, and it feels good to be able to come out and meet people, even if it means working in close contact with individuals who may have been infected with Covid-19,” Nurul Fitrah told theSun.
She is among 200 to 300 volunteers registered with the Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia Response and Relief Team (Imaret) who are working at the frontline of the Covid-19 war.
Imaret executive secretary (operations) Mohamad Redzuan Nordin said the volunteers may be assigned work in any one of the seven Covid-19 assessment centres (CAC) in Selangor and in Kuala Lumpur.
Nurul Fitrah, 32, has been alternating between the CACs at Hulu Langat and Melawati.
She said being away from her family in Penang has been demotivating, and that prompted her to sign up as a volunteer.
“I just want to help. The CACs are also understaffed and they need all the help they can get,” she said.
“This is also the only time I get to meet people.”
Nurul Fitrah, whose day job is a programme assistant, usually helps out at the CAC on Saturdays, and has yet to miss a day since she started as a volunteer.
Her job largely entails helping people to register for Covid-19 assessment.
“At the Melawati CAC, a person can choose to register through the SELangkah app or manually, but at Hulu Langat it is all done manually,” she said.
“We then help out with the screening process and get test results for patients.”
While there is little time for even a breather, Nurul Fitrah said there have been light moments as well.
She recounted having trouble communicating with a group of foreign construction workers who had turned up to have their pink bracelets removed.
“It took a while for us to understand each other. We tried various ways to communicate, which was really funny.”
Rather than expect gratitude or compliments, Nurul Fitrah is thankful that she gets to volunteer.
“It takes my mind off the feeling of homesickness. It also gives me a sense of purpose.”
The Health Ministry has appealed for more volunteers, both medical and non-medical, as the number of cases continues to rise rapidly.
Nurul Fitrah said her friends have been very supportive of her decision to volunteer and some of them have even expressed a desire to join her.
However, her family members continue to worry about her well-being.
For Mohamad Redzuan, managing the volunteer corps has not been a walk in the park.
“There are many challenges. Those who have been picked to volunteer will have to apply for a permit to travel from one district to another. But some, who have been issued such permits, end up abusing it.
“Some would leave the volunteer WhatsApp group, while others would give excuses for failing to turn up for work,” he said.
There was an occasion when only 36 of 60 volunteers showed up at the Melawati CAC.
But some, like Nurul Fitrah, would give everything they have to help in the Covid-19 war. For her, volunteers do not necessarily have the time. What is important is that they have the heart.
