Materia Medica Malaysiana

WoMan: A precious gift of health

THREE years ago, Datuk Seri Endon Mahmood expressed a dream — of a clinic that will provide health screenings as well as educate women in preventive diseases. Specialists would provide the services free of charge, or at a very affordable cost. "We need to keep women informed about their health and educate them on proper measures against all kinds of diseases. We need a wellness centre which provides information as well as services that are accessible to women and their families," said Endon. Last Thursday, her dream came true. The First Lady launched the Kelinik Nur Sejahtera at the National Population And Family Planning Board (LPPKN), in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur, with Woman and Family Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

"This is our gift from us to you," said Shahrizat at the opening. The clinic focuses on prevention of diseases through periodical health screenings for diseases. Nur Sejahtera will also organise talks, seminars and workshops to raise public awareness and also educate people on health care and medicines on the prevention of diseases. It will also advocate maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Shahrizat said there are six packages available for screening — general women's health, cancer, treatment for menopause, family planning, weight management and general health for men. She said the packages came either with free consultation or a low fee, and would be handled by seven specialist doctors who have offered their services on a part-time basis. These doctors are prominent specialists in the country and experts in various in various disciplines. They are Dr Nor Ashikin Ahmad Mokhtar (obstetrics and gynaecology), Prof Madya Dr Aminuddin Ahmad (gastroenterology), Prof Dr Raman Subramaniam (obstetrics and gynaecology), Datuk Dr Tan Hui Meng (urology), Prof Dr Yip Cheng Har (surgery), Dr Tee E Siong (nutrition) and Dr Salina Low Abdullah (psychology).

Besides these doctors, there are also a few specialists who are willing to offer their services in cardiology, endocrinology and other fields of medicine. "I want to make sure cost concerns don't keep a woman from getting these life-saving screenings," said Shahrizat. "We have asked other private clinics to offer their expertise as well. Right now, Pantai Medical Centre has agreed to set a minimum price of RM90 a year for mammograms for women with lower incomes. "We will try to get the services at even lower rates, hopefully," she added.

Urging the people to make use of the facilities, Shahrizat said: "The preventive concept is suitable and timely, especially these days when cancer is becoming a common occurrence. We should use this opportunity to enhance our health.

She was also concerned about women neglecting their health after menopause. Regular medical exams are just as important to a woman's health after menopause as they are before. Some women still mistakenly believe that because they no longer menstruate, some of the screenings they used to take — mammograms and pap smears — are no longer needed. "With education and the right information, it will be possible for us to prevent these diseases as well as to cure them at the early stages. Hence, free health talks will also be held at the clinic every month," she said. Similar programmes all over the world have screened hundreds of thousands of women for early detection and successful treatment of both breast and cervical cancers. Breast cancer is most curable when detected in its earliest stages and cervical cancer is nearly 100 per cent preventable with regular Pap smears. A Pap smear can find cervical cancer long before signs and symptoms show up.

But why do significant numbers of women still die of one of the most preventable and best-understood malignancies? This is definitely because of the lack of effective screening programmes, especially for those medically underserved, explained Shahrizat. Women's health is a matter of global concern. Women are becoming increasingly affected by cancer, HIV/AIDS, and heart diseases. The Malaysian health care system has achieved some degree of success, and it is reputed to be among the best in the Asia-Pacific region. And yet there are still so many out there who have not had a Pap smear or breast check even once. "Before you take the woman you love shopping for a gift, before you take her anywhere at all to celebrate her birthday, take her to the clinic. That would be the best gift you can give the woman you love — the gift of health," Endon said.