TTDI Volunteers DIY Over 3,400 Protective Gear For Medical Frontliners, Even Kids & Elderly Pitch In - TheSmartLocal Malaysia - Travel, Lifestyle, Culture & Language Guide

Volunteers in KL make protective gear for medical staff

Protective gear for medical staff from volunteers in TTDI
Image adapted from: The Star

When videos went viral of hospital staff having to DIY their own personal protection equipment (PPE) with COVID-19 cases springing up daily, Malaysians from all walks of life came to help out. This recently included Pahang inmates who have been gladly sewing PPE for frontliners.

Now a community of volunteers including the elderly and kids from TTDI, Kuala Lumpur have started helping out too. They’ve been making over 3,400 face shields for frontliners since 27th March 2020, to donate them to medical staff at over 4 hospitals in Klang Valley.

Community in TTDI comes out to help frontliners

Kids as young as 7 years old have been helping to make face shields in TTDI
Image credit: The Star

Face shields are an added barrier for hospital staff while treating patients. While they’ve proven that they can whip up their own DIY gear, their days are already filled up tending to COVID-19 patients.

This is why volunteers, such as this community from TTDI, have been joining hands to produce DIY face shields for frontliners. Through the Face Shield Heroes Project, the fruits of their labour have benefited hospital staff at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Sungai Buloh Hospital, and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.

The elderly have also been volunteering by cutting up foam to make DIY face shields
Image credit: The Star

As reported by The Star, this community of volunteers that sees no age barriers started with Rashidah Hashim, a frequent volunteer for NGO groups, and members of her family, including her husband and daughter. Inspired by a friend in Ipoh who was making face shields for hospitals, she also began making them using her own money.

Now there are 120 volunteers helping out from her neighbourhood, along with donations that are pouring in to help them out. They’ve made a total of 3,470 face shields so far and there’s more to come.

Hashim says that this DIY face shield project has even been helping families and the neighbourhood bond while everyone’s staying at home.

A mother and her 3 daughters in TTDI making face shields
Image credit: The Star

Doctors thank volunteers for face shields

Doctors from University Malaya Medical Centre seen wearing DIY face shields while on duty
Image credit: Shairil Rahayu Ruslan

Malaysians nationwide have also been making DIY face shields for their local hospitals as well, and medical staff such as Ana Vetriana in Kota Kinabalu are showing their appreciation for it online.

She took to Facebook to thank volunteers who had donated DIY face shields that even had words of encouragement on it.

DIY face shields made by volunteers that was sent to a hospital in Kota Kinabalu
Image adapted from: Ana Vetriana

Volunteers make face shields for frontliners

Malaysians nationwide have shown that kindness shouldn’t be lost even in tough times. And with frontliners helping to keep those recovery rates up in Malaysia, we’re glad to see volunteers such as this community in TTDI who’ve taken their time to make face shields for frontliners.