Experiences, coping strategies and perspectives of people in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: A nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced in Malaysia on 18 March 2020 in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Malaysia implemented various public health measures and later raced against time to administer COVID-19 vaccines when they became available. As a result of various public health measures to curb the spread of the virus, people in Malaysia faced unprecedented circumstances and new challenges. This study addressed the knowledge gap in our understanding the experiences, coping strategies and perspectives of the people in Malaysia about infection countermeasures by investigating their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A sequential mixed method approach was used to conduct an online survey and in-depth interviews among residents in Malaysia. A total of 827 respondents participated in the online survey from 1st May to 30th June 2020. Nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted online and by phone with key informants and members of the public, who were selected through maximum variation purposive sampling between 2nd May 2020 to 20th December 2021. The semi-structured interviews employed a phenomenological approach and transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. The survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics in Stata 15.0. RESULTS: The survey reflected significant economic impacts of the pandemic, the maximum number of days that people could cope during the MCO, and their coping strategies, which generally entailed changes in lifestyle. The internet and social media were vital platforms to mitigate against the impact of public health measures. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed participant experiences and perceptions of COVID-19 and public health measures in four main themes: (1) work and business; (2) emotional impact (3) coping with change and (4) the COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into the experiences, coping strategies and perspectives of people in Malaysia living through the first-ever MCO during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such insights into COVID-19-related public health measures are pertinent for successfully planning and implementing future responses to pandemics.

Reasons to pursue a career in medicine: a qualitative study in Sierra Leone.

BACKGROUND: Many low-income and crises-affected countries like Sierra Leone struggle with the recruitment and retention of their health professionals, particularly nurses and doctors. There are multiple factors that influence the 'recruitment to retention' pipeline. The first stage of an exploration into the issues influencing the availability of qualified health care workers may focus on the aspects which influence their entry into relevant educational programmes. This paper explores the reasons given by junior doctors in Sierra Leone for wanting to become a doctor. It also describes entry procedures into undergraduate medical education. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with purposively sampled junior doctors (n = 15) from the only medical school in Sierra Leone in October 2013. Digital diaries and two follow-up interviews were used to explore their evolving career experiences and aspirations until November 2016. In addition, semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 20), including senior teaching staff at the medical school (n = 7), were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to explore linkages and themes across cases. RESULTS: Six themes were identified. The most commonly mentioned reasons for wanting to become a doctor were a desire to help (theme 4) and the influence of family and friends, via role modelling (theme 2) and verbal encouragement (theme 3). Other motives were an interest from a young age (theme 1), being attracted by the job prospects (theme 5), and having an intellectual and science capacity (theme 6). Junior doctors gave at least two and up to six reasons for applying to enter the medical profession. Doctors were allowed entry to the medical school largely based on their previous academic performance. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that multiple reasons underlie the decision to apply for entrance to medical school and the decision to enter medicine is complex. These findings may inform the review of future admission procedures by the medical school in Sierra Leone and similar settings, which is a crucial step in addressing the human resource needs for healthcare that currently exist.