Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2025-11
Impacts Sustained by Healthcare Services in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Lessons Learnt Via a Cross-sectional Analysis from the Perspective of Healthcare Providers
Malaysia implemented a lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 from mid-March to early May 2020. Termed a movement control order (MCO), healthcare services were impacted during this period. Understanding the extent of this disruption can help unearth lessons for pandemic preparedness to face future potential lockdowns. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among public and private sector healthcare professionals to determine how lockdown measures impacted healthcare services during the MCO. Operational hours and implemented response measures due to lockdown restrictions were investigated. Responses from 413 doctors, 193 dentists and 163 pharmacists were analysed. Pharmacy services and emergency and critical care services were largely unaffected. Medical services from various disciplines were partially affected, with surgical services being the most severely affected. Dental services were also severely affected. All service sectors reported shortened patient contact times to varying degrees and low rates of virtual healthcare service adoption. Postulated factors causing these impacts include staff shortages due to healthcare worker reallocation, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages and poor virtual healthcare implementation. Policies that empower national surge capacity strategies concerning human resource, virtual healthcare, PPE stockpiling and patient prioritisation measures should be developed to prepare for a future pandemic.
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