KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 8): Last Friday (Feb 4), I took my children to the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur to be vaccinated. Like all parents, whether a pandemic was in progress or not, my wife and I were understandably anxious. Indeed we are always anxious. We worry about the state of the world our children are growing up in and about the future they may have to inhabit. We want the best for them and we live in the hope that somehow, things will get better. We steel ourselves to be ready for anything but we weren't prepared for what awaited us that day.  As expatriate parents, understandably, our anxiousness had added dimensions to it.

As parents, we've seen our anxieties written on the faces of other parents. We have seen children even in circumstances less foreboding than the eventuality of being jabbed by a needle throwing tantrums, crying their eyes out, etc. We were ready for all that. We weren't ready for what seemed for all intents and purposes a children’s party! Let me explain.

First of all, there are many people, adults included, who are scared of injections. Parents can be scared of injections but they are far more worried about the possible fears and related traumas that their children might have to endure. Moreover, this is about Covid-19, a pandemic. Every parent's every moment is filled with all kinds of fears. So it is reasonable to assume that almost all parents arrived burdened with all these worries. 

However, just like us, I am sure almost all of them felt relieved to encounter an almost party-like atmosphere. The children were immediately put at ease because the place was beautifully decorated. There were balloons, chocolates and lots of smiles. There were cartoons playing on screens and nursery rhymes could be heard in the background. It was a child-friendly environment that was simply unbelievable.

The medical staff were efficient but more than that, they were absolutely oriented towards ensuring each and every child would be worry-free to the extent possible. The health officials and uniformed corps were extremely friendly and kind not only to the children but to the worrying parents as well. They followed the Covid-19 guidelines to the very letter. So, yes, while there must have been some anxiety when sleeves had to be rolled up to get the jab, it would be safe to say that everything possible had been done to make things less traumatic. Most importantly, I am sure that every child and every parent would be far less anxious when it is time for the next injection.

Additionally, using the MySejahtera app was a great experience. The app is very easy to use and has an intuitive user interface. With the recently added new features, it made the entire process of securing the vaccination appointment for my kids at the designated vaccination centre a breeze. When we reached the vaccination centre, all the details of our kids were correctly synchronised with the vaccination centre system and importantly, the requested slot was assigned. Soon after the vaccination, MySejahtera app quickly displayed the vaccination information. The developers have done a great job making the entire journey a smooth process from making something highly technical into an app that is simplified enough to be used by ordinary folks.

All Malaysians should be proud of the excellent job carried out by the organisers. Malaysia has an incredible Ministry of Health, I was convinced. Kudos to the Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin.

Prasad Cooray is a Sri Lankan journalist based in Kuala Lumpur.