The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) will implement the use of the face shield among frontline members when carrying out flood relief missions. – Bernama file photo
KOTA BHARU (Dec 6): The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) will implement the use of the face shield among frontline members when carrying out flood relief missions.
Nadma director-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim said the use of part of the personal protective equipment (PPE) was a measure to improve standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“The move is being taken to address the current situation which can be described as handling a disaster within a disaster, namely, floods and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We find there are problems when (the rescuers) only use a face mask as it gets wet when in contact with water. So, for improvement we will probably use face shield in every operation performed,” he said.
He said this to reporters after visiting and listening to a briefing from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) at the Disaster Supply Storage Depot, Pengkalan Chepa, near here, today, which was also attended by the Kelantan police chief DCP Shafien Mamat.
Commenting further, Aminuddin said although the flood situation in Kelantan was not so bad so far, Nadma was always ready to face any eventuality.
From the aspect of logistics, he said about 6,800 transportation including boats and lorries were provided and even each agency involved had been coordinated and was in a state of readiness.
Apart from that, he said the equipment for the comfort of flood victims housed at the temporary evacuation centres (PPS) were also adequate including tents, pillows and toothbrushes.
Meanwhile, he said Nadma had also channelled RM50,000 to the Kelantan government, RM20,000 to each district in the state and RM20,000 to the Disaster Secretariat of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) to launch aid management at the affected locations. – Bernama