Integrated Medicine Hub Expected To Be Operational Year-end

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama) -- The Global Information Hub on Integrated Medicine (InfoHub), a central electronic database with the latest information on integrated medicine, is expected to be operational by the end of this year.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said that the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) had been given the responsibility to develop InfoHub, which had gained support from Commonwealth nations.
"We are confident that it can be launched by the end of this year ... We will then invite the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) to launch this global information hub," he told reporters after the working visit to IMR here, Monday.
Chua said the InfoHub was envisioned to promote and enhance the practice of traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) towards establishing integrated medicine together with allopathic medicine in contemporary health care, through global communication and education with the availability of valid and up-to-date information.
"This way, consumers will be able to get information on TCM in an easier and faster way," he said.
Chua said the establishment of InfoHub could provide a specialised information service of TCM information to consumers and professionals as the practice in Malaysia still lacked vital information certified by the appropriate body.
Earlier, Chua, accompanied by IMR Director Dr Ng Kok Han, the Ministry's Health Director General Datuk Dr Ismail Merican and Health Deputy Director General (Technical) Datuk Dr M. S. Pillay, was given a briefing on various researches under IMR.
Meanwhile, Chua said that IMR being the oldest research institute in this country since its establishment in 1900, had been successful in many researches especially on infectious diseases.
He said with the help of IMR, malaria cases were reduced from 300,000 cases yearly in the 80's to 5,000 cases yearly, today.
Chua said besides the target to eradicate malaria by 2015, IMR also expected to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis disease in this country by 2013 (global target-2020).
"Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), we will work on developing IMR so that it will produce more successes in Research and Development.
"However there are several issues that need to be handled first. We are discussing how IMR can be more effective in achieving the government's wishes," he added.
Chua said one possibility was turning the IMR into a statutory body and the consultants were expected to submit their report in six months.
"Another issue is the training of staff ... The number of Phd holders in IMR's workforce today is only 18 per cent, while we should have reached 70 per cent (of Phd holders among our researchers)," he added.
There are 548 staff currently at the IMR.