KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs more rheumatologists if it is to fulfil the one for every 640 people ratio according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Health minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday that currently there were 24 rheumatoid arthritis specialists in Malaysia, mostly in government hospitals.
He said early diagnosis was necessary to treat the disease because joint disfigurement could be delayed with proper treatment.
“Early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis can help prevent permanent damage to the joints of wrists, fingers, knees, feet and ankles,” he said at a press conference after launching the Fly My 1 Dream campaign aimed at creating awareness of chronic inflammatory conditions.
Liow said some 0.5 per cent of the Malaysian population was suffering from the disease and no one knows what causes it.
“It can be due to genetics, environment or hormones. This affects people in the middle age and also young children,” said Liow adding that women were more prone to the disease.
He added that those affected would need life-long treatment, which included expensive medication, and physical and mental therapy.
Meanwhile, the ministry’s rheumatology head Dr Muhaini Othman said the current lack of rheumatologists should not be a cause for worry as Malaysia was on the way to achieving the recommended WHO ratio.
She said 16 doctors were currently training to specialise in rheumatology while another eight were on the waiting list for training.
Dr Muhaini who is also the former president of Malaysian Society of Rheumatology (MSR) said she was proud of the fact that most rheumatologists were in government hospitals and only a handful in the private sector.
“So more people, especially the under privileged, will be able to receive treatment for this lifelong condition,” she said.
The campaign held at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa had about 500 patients and their families participating in the half day event which included a ride in the hot air balloon, which symbolised the campaign’s theme.
The Fly My 1 Dream campaign was organised by the ministry in collaboration with Arthritis Foundation Malaysia, Psoriasis Association Malaysia, Malaysian Society of Rheumatology and Abbott Laboratories (M) Sdn. Bhd to promote early awareness and detection of chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the joints (rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis), the skin (psoriasis) and the gut (inflammatory bowel disease)
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