Materia Medica Malaysiana

Pact with Brunei to develop six health sectors

MIRI: Health authorities of Malaysia and Brunei have identified six health and medical sectors to be given greater emphasis in terms of joint venture research and information sharing.

Senior health officials of both countries yesterday gathered here to convene their first bilateral technical working committee conference and agreed that both parties would formulate a joint plan to develop these six sectors.

The six areas earmarked for joint co-operation are communicable disease, health surveillance, food safety control, tobacco products control, cosmetic products control and cross-border movement of patients.

Malaysia’s Deputy Director-General of Health (public health) Datuk Dr Shafie Ooyub said the health authorities of both countries would be able to enjoy tremendous mutual benefits if they could come up with a blueprint for joint co-operation in these sectors.

“This first bilateral meeting of the technical working committee was convened to discuss ways to resolve bilateral issues on health that affect both countries. Whatever health issues in Malaysia will affect Brunei and, likewise, what happens in Brunei also affects us because we share a long border with Brunei.

“The health ministers of Malaysia and Brunei held a meeting on Dec 4 and Dec 5 in Brunei and agreed that both countries should work out a joint formula to resolve health issues on a bilateral basis,” he said after the meeting.

He stressed that the main objective of the meeting was to enhance exchange of information on health services and medical facilities, training to develop human resources, and sharing guidelines and experience in dealing with communicable diseases between both countries so that one would be able to help the other in such matters.

“Both countries have also agreed that we should share our laboratory facilities and services, especially in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei,” he said.