(From fourth right) Achon, Dr. Lee, Azlina, Azran and others at the PPE handing over ceremony at Miri Central Prison. – Picture by Cecilia Sman
MIRI: Miri Central Prison in collaboration with local volunteers’ group, #sew4frontlinersmiri, and Ikram Miri’s charity wing, I-Bantu, have contributed 2,400 pieces of Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) to frontliners in the war against Covid-19.
The PPE consisting of 1,200 boot’s cover and 1,200 hoods (head cover) made by them were donated to frontliners at Miri, Lawas and Kota Kinabalu Hospitals.
Miri Central Prison director Assistant Commissioner Achon Tadeng said the PPE were sewn in three weeks by 20 inmates who were trained in tailoring.
“We hoped that the non-governmental organisations will continue to collaborate with us, so that these inmates, despite serving their jail sentences here, could also contribute back to society and help fight Covid-19,” he said when met after the handing over ceremony on Tuesday.
Achon had handed over the PPE to #sew4frontlinersmiri’s co-founder and coordinator, Nor Azlina Samin and Ikram Miri’s Secretary, Muhammad Azran Safwan Alias, at the prison.
They subsequently handed over the PPE to Miri Hospital Health Promotion Unit head Dr. Grace Lee, who represented the hospitals.
The prison’s Deputy Director, Superintendent, Khalid Muhammad and Miri Hospital Public Relation Officer, Nurfaezah Salim were among those present.
Azlina and Azran both thanked the Miri Prison for voluntarily helping to sew the PPE, thus sharing the work load with about 200 volunteers from #sew4frontlinersmiri.
Azlina said as part of the collaboration they had handed 25 rolls of non-woven materials donated by Sinnoxxa Sdn Bhd.
She added since April this year, they had completed almost 25,000 pieces of PPE, and had donated most of them to various frontline departments and agencies such as the Miri Hospital, Pusat Jantung Sarawak in Kota Samarahan, Klinik Kota Samarahan and Miri Zone 6 Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), polyclinics, MRC Kidney Dialysis Centres, schools and churches,
.
Meanwhile, Dr Lee when thanking the Miri Central Prison and #sew4frontlinersmiri for continuously donating the PPE especially to Miri Hospital reminded the people that Covid-19 pandemic is far from over.
“We are very appreciative of the support from the Miri community and we hoped that the public will continue to play their respective roles like 3Ws (wash your hands, wear a mask and heed MOH warnings) so as to ensure Miri remains green zone or free from Covid-19,” she said.