Crimea U students can stay on

Malaysian students who have enrolled for the first year of their medical degree at the Crimea State Medical University can go ahead with their studies.
Malaysian Medical Council president Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said the 1,119 students there would not be affected by the council's decision to remove the university's medical undergraduate programme from its list of recognised programmes.
“The council in its meeting on Tuesday had unanimously decided to withdraw the recognition granted to these programmes and it applies to any student being registered and admitted after Dec 31 this year.
“This means that those who are already there can continue,” he told reporters here yesterday.
The same ruling, said Dr Ismail, also applied to the 363 Malaysians taking up medicine at other now unrecognised institutes in Ukraine.
Among the reasons cited for the withdrawal were the “dubious” qualifications of students admitted into the institute’s medical studies, the difficulty faced by its medical graduates in using jargon in English and the possible strain on the quality of teaching due to the sudden increase in intake since 2001.
Asked if it was fair since many of these pre-medical students had already turned down options to study elsewhere, Dr Ismail, who is also the Health Ministry’s secretary-general, said the council would not exempt them.
“They can go ahead and study in the institute if they want to, but when they come back, they must sit and pass the Medical Qualifying Examination. If they are really well trained, they should have no problem passing the examination,” he said.
Crimea State Medical University was the first Ukrainian varsity to be recognised by the MMC after a visit in 2001. Dr Ismail said the council made a return visit to the institute in 2003 after receiving numerous complaints.
“We found that in 2001, there were only 53 Malaysian students at the institute but this has risen to 1,366 students by May this year. We fear this may compromise the quality of education and that this is nothing but a business operation.
“Some of the students admitted were in fact not eligible, being school dropouts from the arts stream and having very poor secondary school results. These graduates were also not very fluent in their usage of English medical jargon. This may jeopardise our patient safety and well-being,” he said.
The council, stressed Dr Ismail, would not compromise on patient safety and would ensure that medical undergraduates had the required knowledge and skills to practise medicine safely.

MMC Withdraws Recognition Of Ukrainan Medical Undergraduate Programmes

PUTRAJAYA, June 16 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) has withdrawn recognition of the medical undergraduate programme offered by Ukraine's Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) to any students registered and admitted into academic year one after Dec 31, 2005.
MMC president Datuk Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said MMC also decided at its June 14 meeting not to recognise similar programmes offered by 10 other universities in Ukraine.
The MMC was concerned about the quality of medical training or education in Ukraine in producing safe and competent doctors to meet Malaysia's needs, he told a media conference Thursday.
The decision would not affect the current 1,119 medical undergraduates enrolled in various academic years in CSMU as the de-recognition would only apply to those admitted and registered after Dec 31, 2005, said Dr Mohd Ismail who is Director-General of Health.
Those pursuing the pre-medical foundation course would be eligible only if they were admitted and registered into the first academic year before Dec 31 this year.
"In other words, any CSMU undergraduates admitted and registered for academic year one and onwards before Dec 31, 2005 are eligible to register with the MMC upon their graduation.
"Those who register after Dec 31 must sit and pass the Medical Qualifying Examination stipulated under the Medical Act 1971 to be eligible for registration (with the MMC)," he said.
The CSMU was the first institution to be granted recognition by the MMC effective Aug 7, 2001. As of last month, 1,366 students are studying in CSMU -- 1,119 in various academic years and 247 others taking the pre-medical course.
Dr Mohd Ismail said that following numerous complaints, the authorities visited CSMU in October 2003 to verify them as well as the other 10 Ukrainian universities for the purpose of granting recognition.
They found some of the Malaysian students admitted into the medical undergraduate course were school drop-outs with very poor secondary school results.
The students were allowed to pursue the programme after passing the pre-medical foundation courses conducted by the Ukrainian universities.
"Their secondary school qualifications were never taken into consideration. Even arts stream secondary school drop-outs were allowed to pursue such courses," Dr Mohd Ismail said.
He said a study conducted on CSMU graduates working in the Health Ministry, and the feedback gleaned from their supervisors, revealed that the graduates' usage of English medical jargons was limited as they were more fluent and familiar with technical jargons in Ukrainian or Russian.
"Their jargons, being alien to our medical fraternity, may jeopardise the safety of our patients and well-being," he said.
The ability of the Ukrainian universities to provide teaching in English was doubtful as the number of English-speaking lecturers and facilities were insufficient to meet the demand from the sudden increase in the number of Malaysian students.
Dr Mohd Ismail said during the authorities' first visit in 2001, there were only 53 Malaysian students in CSMU, and the number jumped to 900 in 2003.
"The drastic increase in the number of student intake may inevitably compromise the quality of medical education," he said, attributing the spike to purely business considerations.

More Kidney Disease Awareness Campaigns In The Offing

The Health Ministry will organise more kidney disease awareness campaigns to impress on the people the importance of preventive measures to keep such diseases at bay.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Thursday such campaigns and activities, which were also aimed at doctors and health workers, were necessary in view of the rising number of kidney patients.
"I understand that these activities have been successfully carried out in Singapore and hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans have undergone screening for kidney disease," he said at the launch of the national-level kidney disease awareness campaign here. His speech was delivered by the ministry's parliamentary secretary, Lee Kah Choon.
Chua said that in the United States, awareness campaigns had revealed that 20 million Americans suffered from chronic kidney disease.
The information gleaned from awareness campaigns would enable the ministry to take more effective measures to overcome end stage renal failure which in turn could also reduce cardiovascular disease among patients, he said.
He said that in view that most of the cases were diabetics, the ministry had drawn up measures for early detection like conducting urine and blood tests and for controlling the blood pressure and sugar level of diabetic patients,
The patients could also play their part by taking medication and living a healthy lifestyle, he added.
Meanwhile, Lee told a news conference that the ministry was asking certain non-governmental organisations which run kidney dialysis centres to adhere to the ministry's standard to ensure good and proper treatment of patients.
He said some of the dialysis centres run by NGOs or individuals did not have properly-trained staff like nephrologists.
These centres might be facing financial constraints or were simply ignorant of the need to have properly trained nephrologists, he said.

Free Syringes And Condoms Because AIDS At Emergency Level, Says PM

DOHA, June 16 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the pilot programme to give free syringes and condoms to drug addicts as a means to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country will be implemented because the situation has reached an emergency level.
"This is not a waste but if there are better suggestions the government is prepared to consider them," the prime minister told Malaysian journalists after attending the Second South Summit of G77 and China which ended, here Thursday.
Abdullah said information sessions on the programme would be held as soon a possible for those who opposed the move.
He said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek would be present at the meetings with the opposing groups, which would be coordinated by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamed Zin, to explain the move in detail.
He said the move to provide free syringes and condoms had to be carried out because Chua had confirmed at the Cabinet meeting recently that the HIV/AIDS situation had reached an emergency level as the affected group was still actively involved in drug addiction and sex.
Abdullah said that if these people were not given syringe and condom aid they might spread the disease to their wives or partners.
"This is dangerous because it will spread," he said.
He said that according to the Health Ministry's analysis, giving free syringes and condoms would not be a waste of government funds but would instead by a saving.
He said that if the situation had reached a level where it posed a danger to the people because the disease could be spread easily, the government felt compelled to adopt this approach to solve the problem.
"If (we) don't want the infection to escalate, if (we) want to curb the spread, we must take appropriate measures," he said.
He said that from the religious point of view, if an emergency had occurred or would occur, the proposed move could be taken as a prevention. Chua had earlier announced that the pilot programme would be implemented at 10 government and private clinics in October and would involve 1,200 drug addicts.

No to medical courses from Ukraine's Crimea State Medical University

PUTRAJAYA: Medical undergraduate programmes offered by the Crimea State Medical University in Ukraine will no longer be recognised.
Malaysian Medical Council president Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said it would be withdrawing its recognition of the programmes to any student being registered and admitted after Dec 31 this year.
Among the reasons cited for the withdrawal included the dubious qualifications of students admitted for the institute’s medical studies, the difficulty of its medical graduates in using technical jargons in English and the possible strain on the quality of teaching due to the sudden increase in intake.
“For those who are enrolled in the first year of their medical studies in this institute, they can continue. But for those who are going to enter pre-medical studies in September, I would advise them not to go,” he told reporters today.
“The council will not compromise on patient's safety and shall always ensure that medical undergraduates have the required knowledge and skills to practice medicine safely,” said Ismail.

Crimea degrees status in limbo

More than 1,000 Malaysians studying at the Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) in Ukraine may be in limbo tomorrow.
Their fate depends on an announcement to be made by the Health Ministry on the possible withdrawal of recognition for medical programmes at CSMU.
A statement from the Health Ministry today said director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican will hold a Press conference tomorrow on the withdrawal of recognition for medical-based degrees from the university.
If recognition is withdrawn, Malaysian students pursuing pre-university and medical degrees there will face a dilemma.
It is possible, however, that the current batch of students may be exempted in the event recognition is withdrawn. About a third of the students are sponsored by Mara and Yayasan Selangor.
The Public Service Department has recognised the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from CSMU since 2001, so graduates need not sit for a qualifying examination to practise in Malaysia upon graduation.
The medical degrees are also recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council.
When contacted, Dr Subendran Arumugam, director of Ukrainian Medical Education Sdn Bhd, which represents CSMU in Malaysia, said the university had no knowledge of any withdrawal.
"Any withdrawal of recognition should be communicated to the university," he said in a telephone interview from the Ukraine.
"If we are not complying with any requirements, we should be informed and a grace period given for compliance. If we still do not comply, only then should they withdraw recognition."

Russian medical degrees still recognised

PUTRAJAYA: Reducing the number of Public Service Department scholars in Russia will not affect recognition of the country’s medical degrees.
PSD public relations officer Hasniah Rashid said the Cabinet decision would only affect the figures and not the status of privately-funded students.
“They don’t have to worry as their degrees are already in the list of those recognised by both the department and the Malaysian Medical Council,” she said here.
In a statement last week, Hasniah had said that this year the department increased the number of students to the Middle East, especially to Egypt, and reduced the number of students to Russia, in accordance with a Cabinet decision last November to review the sponsorship of scholars to that country.
When contacted, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said the Government was also concerned over the high number of Malaysian students enrolled in the five Russian universities and another in Ukraine.
“Currently, there are more than 1,000 Malaysian students there. This number is still reasonable.
“But we are concerned that if there is a drastic increase, this may affect the student-lecturer ratio as well as the lack in the availability of facilities and laboratories to students, all of which may contribute to a decline in quality,” he said, adding that the ministry would monitor the situation.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh said the decision was made upon the request of parents.
“We have received many complaints from parents who are dissatisfied with the conditions and facilities of some universities in Russia and Ukraine.
“We are looking at other destinations such as Egypt and Australia that are also closer to home,” he said.

Women urged to take charge of contraception

“Yasmin Take Charge!” — this is the latest campaign by the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia (OGSM) to educate women and their partners on family planning.
Launched at a hotel here yesterday, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Associate Professor Dr Jamiyah Hassan, said the campaign is to educate women not to place their lives in the hands of their physicians when it comes to using contraception.
“Women have to learn what and how they use contraception, especially those taken orally as they may have negative effects.
“Through this campaign, we hope to educate women on their right to choose which form of contraception is best for them, instead of just being handed to them by their physicians,” said Dr Jamiyah, a past president of the society.
On family planning, OGSM president Dr Ravi Chandran said sex is given high priority in society but the planning of pregnancies, however, is not.
“Many unwanted pregnancies have led to social issues such as abandoned babies and maternal deaths due to dangerous abortions. Studies have shown that effective contraception can save lives,” he said, adding that the campaign’s effort is in line with the latest initiatives by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
He said that 50 per cent of Malaysian women do not use contraceptives.
As such, the need for the campaign is crucial.

Heart fund feels the pinch

It is always an uphill battle raising funds for charity, as Datuk Christine Vanhouten knows full well.
The former senator, now president of the Society for Sabah Heart Fund, laments the rising costs and number of patients who need help, against a backdrop of decreasing amount of donations trickling in.
"When we started the association in 1981, we used to be able to send 10 to 15 patients a year for corrective heart surgery.
"Last year, we only managed five. We have sent five this year and are in the process of sending a sixth patient," she said at her office yesterday.
The economic downturn in 1997 had probably affected people’s spending power and that, in turn, had reduced donations.
"Timber concessionaires and business owners used to donate generously, but that ceased after the downturn."
"Now we have to work extra hard to lobby for donations and raise awareness through charity dinners, marathons and public seminars. It has been quite tough."
Despite the difficulties, the association has managed to send 377 heart patients for surgery.
Of these, 90 per cent were children, most with hole-in- the-heart conditions. Almost all were from the hardcore poor.
"We will always have a long waiting list for patients who need surgery, but we can only take urgent cases first while some can end up waiting for years and years."
What makes it worthwhile for Vanhouten is when patients who have recovered and gone on to lead normal, successful lives return for a visit.
"When they come back with children in tow and offer us kind words and donations in return, it’s a great feeling.
"You know you made a difference in someone’s life."

Malaysia HIV measures under fire

Malaysia's Health Minister Chua Soi Lek has asked religious leaders to drop their opposition to moves to contain the spread of HIV.
Mr Chua was reacting to a World Health Organization warning that the country was on the verge of an HIV epidemic.
Senior Muslim clerics have criticised plans to distribute free condoms, saying it would encourage promiscuity.
The WHO sounded the alarm after studying health ministry data on HIV infection in Malaysia.
The WHO said the virus was in danger of spreading out of control, especially among intravenous drug users.
More than three quarters of the 65,000 cases of HIV infection reported in Malaysia since 1996 have been attributed to the sharing of needles.
But the proportion of cases thought to be due to sexual transmission has also more than doubled in the same period.
Mr Chua has advocated a pragmatic approach, giving out free needles and condoms to reduce the spread of HIV.
It is a brave stand in a country whose many religious groups are united primarily by their conservatism.
Mr Chua will try to win his opponents round when he meets ulamas - Muslim religious teachers - next week.
The senior Muslim cleric in the state of Perak has already decried the plan to hand out free condoms, saying it would lead to more illicit sex.
Political leaders in two other states have said drug addicts, or those who are HIV positive, should only be given condoms if they are married.

HIV Alert!:WHO warns Malaysia on the threshold of an epidemic

An HIV epidemic is knocking on Malaysia’s door.
This startling conclusion was reached by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after its officials studied statistics and spoke to Ministry of Health personnel.
It disclosed that some 15,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS in Malaysia. Dr Hans Tieru, the WHO representative, said that the development of the HIV situation here was being monitored closely by the world organisation.
"It was only after studies were carried out that a finding was made that Malaysia was at the initial stage of an HIV epidemic," he said. This was reported in the UNAIDS/WHO Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic 2004.
Nearly 65,000 people have been diagnosed with HIV since 1996. Of this number, 9,444 have developed full- blown AIDS and 7,195 have died.
But the authorities and non-governmental organisations believe the official figures are only a conservative estimate.
Drug use lies behind the bulk of the HIV/AIDS cases in Malaysia. There are 130,000 intravenous drug users, many of whom share needles, raising the risk of infection.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said he was troubled by the WHO finding. "This is a challenge for all Malaysians. We have to find a way to stop the spread of HIV," he said.
The situation called for radical approaches, including free distribution of condoms and clean needles to stop the spread of infection among drug users, he said.
But Dr Chua also sounded a note of caution. Though most HIV-positive Malaysians were drug addicts, a growing number of people were being infected through sexual contact.

Walking school' for hospital

University Malaya Medical Centre is introducing the "Douglas Bader Walking School" at its physiotherapy unit to help patients with walking disabilities.
HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad contributed RM211,000 towards the initial costs.
The centre’s head of rehabilitation medicine, Associate Prof Datuk Dr Zaliha Omar, said an average of 100 patients a day undergo physiotherapy, and the "walking school" is expected to help them recover more quickly.
The Douglas Bader Walking School is a model of the facilities and rehabilitation training required to take amputees to a higher level of personal management.
It is part of the Douglas Bader Foundation, formed by the family and friends of Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, British hero and legend, and a double amputee, who died in 1982.

Carpets linked to asthma

The increasing use of carpets and upholstery in Malaysian homes may be leading to more dust mites, and child asthma cases.
Kuala Lumpur Hospital consultant pulmonary and critical care physician Datuk Dr Jeyaindran Sinnadurai said the situation was compounded by poor ventilation due to lack of fresh air in homes.
"People are having less opportunity to air their rooms or place mattresses in the sun to kill dust mites," he told the New Straits Times.
He said seven per cent of adult Malaysians had symptoms of asthma, and 78 per cent of them fell into the category of mild asthmatics.
While Dr Jeyaindran’s theory has yet to be substantiated by research studies, he feels that the changing environment at homes and offices has contributed to an increase in dust mites.
Asthma results from a complex interaction between the individual and his environment.
He said studies had shown that asthma was a major cause of school absenteeism, which led to poor performance in school and lost working hours for parents.
Dr Jeyaindran, a member of the Global Initiative for Asthma Assembly and advisory board, said asthma was also a problem regionally with at least 36 per cent of children absenting themselves from school because of it.
He said 10 per cent of patients at the Accident and Emergency Departments in hospitals nationwide daily were asthmatics.

Free Condoms And Needles For Addicts Not A Waste- Chua

The cost of providing free condoms and syringes to drug addicts is expected to cost RM145 million annually but will help avoid 90,000 new HIV infections, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Monday.
He said the government was seriously thinking of introducing the measure (free provision of needles and condoms to drug addicts) as the cost of treating HIV patients had exceeded RM500 million yearly.
"That is the cost of medication only and does not include other costs," he told reporters after opening the Millennium Development Goals Seminar organised by his ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) here.
Dr Chua said almost 40 per cent of drug addicts who were HIV positive also contracted other illnesses like tuberculosis and pneumonia which further added to the cost of treatment.
"In short, providing the needles and condoms is not a waste of the people's money ... in terms of savings, it is triple the amount," he said.
Earlier this month, Dr Chua announced that the government was seriously considering providing syringes and condoms for free to drug addicts to stem the spread of HIV.
However, the proposal received various reactions, with ulamas and religious organisations fearing the move would lead to indiscriminate sex while non-governmental organisations lauded the move.
Dr Chua added that he and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohamed Zin would meet with ulama groups soon to clarify the issue.

Designer drugs just as dangerous

There is ignorance among the public, including professionals, that designer drugs are not as dangerous as the “hardcore stuff”, so the Government wants to sensitise the public to their dangers.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said government doctors and private practitioners must look out for addiction to designer drugs and not just hardcore drugs as this problem had become more acute.
“Designer drugs are as dangerous as any hardcore drugs, even if they come in different name.
“The problem is that young people do not understand the risk in consuming what they call party or designer drugs when they go to discotheques or parties,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after chairing the state MCA liaison committee meeting yesterday, Dr Chua said the number of people using traditional drugs such as heroin, opium, morphine and ganja was on a downward trend but consumption of designer drugs was increasing.
“This can be attributed to its easy availability and ignorance over the dangers of taking such drugs.
“I would say that reports stating that there were 25 deaths due to designer drug-related problem is under reporting. These incidents are only in the Klang Valley. What about the other places?” he asked.
A daily had reported that 25 Malaysians, aged between 18 and 26, had died from designer-drug related deaths in the past 18 months in the Klang Valley.
The daily quoted police sources as saying that the big increase in rave parties and the mistaken belief that it was safe to consume designer drugs were among the contributing factors.
Dr Chua said that relevant parties would also have to be trained to identify, treat and counsel those suffering from designer drug addiction.
On another matter, the Health Minister said rectification, renovation and defumigation works were being conducted at the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Pandan, which had been plagued with fungal problems over the past few months.
“Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had informed me that the job would be completed by August and the hospital would be handed over to my ministry.”
The hospital would only start operating when the ministry is satisfied over its safety, he said.
The 740-bed hospital, costing RM557.8mil, was closed on Sept 25 last year after it was hit by a major fungal infection just two months after it started operations.

Training more specialists

A new batch of 227 trained doctors have just joined Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s (UKM) post-graduate masters degree programme and will graduate in four years’ time.
UKM medical faculty dean Prof Dr Lokman Saim said: “The masters degrees enable doctors to specialise in fields according to their interests. There is a choice of 15 specialist degrees here including anaesthesiology, internal medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, family medicine, and obstetrics and gynaecology.”
UKM’s medical faculty (for undergraduate studies) was established in May 1972. Ever since it started its first postgraduate training programme in orthopaedic surgery and general surgery in 1981, it has produced more than 1,500 specialists. On average, the university produces about 190 specialists annually.
The four-year structured masters programme emphasises clinical and surgical expertise.
“This is our biggest batch so far. We have doctors from various government agencies such as the Ministries of Health and Defence and Kuala Lumpur City Hall,” said Prof Lokman, adding that there were 200 doctors in the previous year’s batch.
There are also eight foreign doctors on the programme. Prof Lokman explained that the doctors were required to work regular hours during their post-graduate training.
“They run clinics, do operations and go on-call. At the same time, they attend intensive courses run by the departments they want to specialise in.
“But they don’t attend lectures or tutorials. Instead, each doctor is assigned to a supervisor who is a consultant specialist. It is an apprenticeship” he said.
Prof Lokman added that not all 227 doctors were based at the UKM Hospital as the university recognises other hospitals as training centres. However, the doctors do go back to UKM for a certain time period.
“The doctors are required to do research as well as fill in a log-book on the work they have done such as the operations they have carried out,” he said.
Examinations are also held – the doctors have three chances to pass.
“Although we accept any doctor who is eligible for the programme in terms of age and qualifications, not all will qualify as specialists,” he said.

Medical Faculties At Varsities Able To Handle Bigger Intake Of Students

The government has increased the teaching capacity at the medical faculties of all the public universities to cater to a bigger intake of students, Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said.
He said this was to prevent a recurrence of last year's problem where 128 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia top scorers failed to get places to study medicine locally.
Dr Shafie said basic facilities such as teaching equipment had been improved or upgraded and more lecturers had been recruited since last year.
"So far, so good. I am quite sure that what happened last year will not happen again," he told reporters after launching the Career and Education Fair 2005 here.
Last year, after a public outcry, the government awarded the top scorers Public Service Department scholarships to study medicine overseas.
Dr Shafie also said that the announcement of this year's university intake would be made before the end of the month as the new 2005/2006 session begins in July.
In another development, Shafie said he had approved the unpaid leave of University Malaya economist Assoc Prof Dr Terence Gomez who had tendered his resignation after the university did not approve his two-year secondment to take up a research post in the United Nations.
"I only saw the application yesterday and I approved it," he said when asked by reporters to comment on the matter.
Shafie said he had also rejected Gomez's resignation, which means the economist could return to the university after completing his two-year secondment in Geneva.

Caring for the disabled

Helping the disabled to lead independent lives, regardless of race or religion, is what the Beautiful Gate Foundation is all about.
In 1993 Pastor Sia Siew Chin (picture), 39, had a vision to set up a "caring ministry" for the disabled and she approached the Chinese Methodist Church in Malaysia for help.
Two years later, the first Beautiful Gate Disabled People Caring Centre in Petaling Jaya was set up. Subsequently, three more centres in Kepong, Kampar (Perak) and Seremban were set up.
Sia is now founding executive director of the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled, which was registered two years ago.
Sia said the foundation organised activities, provided employment assistance, counselling and skills training to 1,000 resident and non-resident members and their families.
"We need RM50,000 a month to run the four centres," she said.
The foundation is working on setting up a fifth centre in Batu Berendam, Malacca.
The Petaling Jaya centre focuses on career development where members pick up work and living skills.
The Kepong centre is a rehabilitation centre for those with spinal injuries.
The Kampar centre sticks to education where the young disabled with little or no formal education receive basic education and learn to be independent.
The Seremban centre will be developed into the country’s first performing arts centre for the disabled.
Despite the foundation’s achievement in helping the disabled, Sia hopes for more government aid for the disabled.
"We do not have definite statistics of disabled people but we need to include their family members, who are also affected," she said.
The main centre is at 29, Jalan SS2/59, 47300, Petaling Jaya. For more information, call 03-78736579 or email bgcentre@yahoo.com.

Govt Acts To Create A Nation Of Healthy People

The government is turning words into deeds in its desire to create a nation of healthy people.
Today it announced a plan to establish a community health promotion centre in every state under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010).
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his speech at the launch of the national-level healthy lifestyle campaign here. The text of Abdullah's speech was read out by Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan.
Abdullah said these community health promotion centres would provide health packages that would enhance the people's knowledge and skills in four areas: healthy eating, engaging in physical activity, cultivating a healthy mind, and refraining from smoking.
A pilot project has been established at the Seberang Jaya Community Health Clinic in Penang, he said.
"The establishment of these centres is to realise the government's desire for the people of Malaysia to be healthy and well," said Abdullah.
He said the primary challenge the government faced in building a society that practised a healthy lifestyle at all times was changing the behavioural pattern of the society.
The prime minister said it was not easy to alter the behavioural pattern of society, adding that it could not be achieved overnight.
"We need much time to ensure that society not only changes its behavioural pattern but also maintains the new practice continuously," he said.
He said the government did not wish to have a situation where the people engaged in physical exercise and consumed healthy food for some time and then went back to their old ways.
The prime minister said that understanding the difficulty in changing a society's behavioural pattern, the government was encouraging promotion of a healthy lifestyle by establishing the relevant infrastructure and services.
Abdullah said the government, through the Health Ministry, always gave serious attention to the provision of excellent health facilities for the people.
Up to 2003, he said, the Health Ministry had established 117 hospitals, 864 health clinics, 1,847 rural clinics and 95 maternal and child health clinics in the country.
Abdullah also said that the situation of non-infectious ailments, particularly cardiovascular disease, that the nation faced now was most serious and worrying.
"Therefore, the government through the Health Ministry always strived to enhance health education and promotion among the people," he said.
Abdullah said one cause of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity was the lack of physical activity.
The prime minister said the government's desire to create a nation of healthy people would not be achieved without the commitment of every individual and organisation in the society.
"Every member of society must play his or her respective role in helping the Health Ministry to realise its vision of building a healthy and active Malaysian society," he said.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek was also present at the launch of the three-day campaign.

Ministry Uses Holistic Approach In Healthy Lifestyle Campaign

The Health Ministry has used a more holistic approach in its healthy lifestyle campaign from 2003 that carried the healthy-for-life theme, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
He said the new approach focused on four factors, which were healthy eating, engaging in physical activity, cultivating a healthy mind, and refraining from smoking.
He said the message was conveyed to the people right to their homes, schools, work places and recreational centres.
Dr Chua spoke to reporters after the launching of the national-level healthy lifestyle campaign 2005 at Dataran Kemang in Teluk Kemang here by Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on behalf of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The campaign, aimed at promoting health and eliminating diseases acquired through a poor lifestyle, was started in 1991.
Chua said that initially the campaign focused on instilling awareness among the people on the diseases which affected them. This was followed by emphasising the ways to avoid serious diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
He said that this time the ministry had extended the promotion to the whole country.
"State Health Departments are holding carnivals on healthy living at state level and they have received good response from the people and leaders," he said.
"Various activities which increase awareness among the people on maintaining health were held during the carnivals," he said.
He said the people should acquire sound knowledge of how to maintain their health after attending the carnivals.

RI favors Malaysian hospitals

Indonesians are increasingly looking to Malaysia for medical treatment.
Malaysian deputy tourism minister Achmad Zahid Hamidi said on Friday that, last year, Indonesians visiting Malaysia for medical purposes reached 126,000 out of 174,000 foreigners receiving medical treatment in the country.
The 126,000 Indonesians were among 789,000 Indonesians to visit Malaysia that year, said Hamidi, saying Indonesian visitors had generated 1.125 million ringgit in revenue for the Malaysian government or Rp 2.2 trillion.
"Patients stay in hospital for 12 days on average," said Hamidi, while promoting Malaysian hospital in the West Java capital of Bandung.
Hamid said the Indonesian patients spent 1,500 ringgit a day each on average. The Malaysian hospitals obtained Rp 600 billion from the patients or some 252 million ringgit.
He said there are 25 hospitals in Malaysia that are certified to receive foreign patients, including in Penang, Selangor and Johor.
"They have been approved by the International Organization for Standardization, and their quality is controlled by the Malaysian government," said Roslan Othman, the director of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board.
Fertility, skin care, slimming and cardiology clinics are especially popular, while other patients just want a general checkup, said Selangor State Minister for Tourism, Health and Consumer Affair Lim Thuang Seng.
"One patient usually travels with two or three others ... they also visit tourist spots and shop," said Lim.
Hamidi said the success rate in Malaysian hospitals was 54 percent.

ChondroGene Enters into Clinical Collaborations with Two Malaysian Hospitals

ChondroGene Limited (TSX Venture: CDG) announced
today that it has entered into clinical collaborations with Lam Wah EE
Hospital and Island Hospital, two leading hospitals in Penang, Malaysia.
"These are two of the most prestigious hospitals in Malaysia and South
East Asia," stated Malaysian-born Dr. C.C. Liew, Chief Scientific Officer of
ChondroGene. "Malaysia has extremely modern healthcare facilities staffed with
many North American and European trained physicians and researchers.
Initially, these hospitals will be a key source of genetically diverse
clinical samples in a variety of disease areas. Eventually, they will offer
their patients ChondroGene's molecular diagnostic tests and services based on
the Sentinel Principle."
The hospitals will begin collecting blood samples from consenting
patients in disease areas that coincide with ChondroGene's primary areas of
interest - cancer, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system disorders
and arthritis. The information from these samples will provide additional data
useful in identifying blood-based biomarkers for specific diseases. The data
will also be added to ChondroGene's growing database of gene expression
profiles which currently contains profiles from several thousand people
possessing a wide range of disease conditions, as well as from normal
patients. The hospitals have also agreed to offer ChondroGene's molecular
tests to their patients, as these tests become available.
"We are pleased to be working with these two key hospitals in the
region," stated K. Wayne Marshall, President and CEO of ChondroGene. "We
expect to enter into similar relationships with other organizations around the
world in the future in order to further expand the genetic diversity of our
gene expression database as we move towards developing commercial products."

Health Minister Declines Open Debate On Free Condoms For Addicts

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Friday he did not wish to engage in an open debate, including through the media, on his ministry's proposal to distribute free needles and condoms to self-confessed drug addicts to check the spread of HIV/Aids.
"I will not respond to any opinion on the matter because at this stage we are still compiling information on the matter," he said.
Speaking at a press conference after visiting the Cameron Highlands Hospital project in Tanah Rata here, he said he would explain the issue at a press briefing after "all sides had expressed their opinion".
The ministry proposed to distribute free needles, condoms and methadone to a group of drug addicts under a pilot programme as a means of checking the spread of HIV/Aids.
Several state governments, including Perak, Terengganu dan Selangor, had opposed the proposal and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali had suggested that the issue be discussed at a special meeting of the Council of Muftis.
"The proposal is part of our responsibility to improve the health of the people ... we do not want to be known as a developing nation with a high incidence of HIV," Dr Chua said.
Meanwhile, he said the government's decision to stop building large hospitals under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and to upgrade existing ones was because the existing 125 hospitals were sufficient and that some of the hospitals were not fully utilised.
He said only one or two places still needed a large hospital while at other places smaller hospitals would be built, or existing hospitals would be upgraded.
He added that small hospitals would be equipped with equipment such as X-rays, maternity wards, children's wards and pharmacies.
According to him, the government would from now adopt the tender system for projects under his ministry to reduce costs. Some hospitals cost more than five star hotels to build, and when the cost was calculated per bed, each bed cost RM1.1 million, he said.
On the Cameron Highlands Hospital, he said it would be completed in March next year.

Government Hospitals May Not Accept Patients From Private Hospitals

The Health Ministry may cease the practice of government hospitals accepting patients from private hospitals for post-surgery treatment.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the co-operation between government and private hospitals, established on mutual understanding and on humanitarian grounds, had long existed.
He added that it was unfair to put the blame on government hospitals if patients from private hospitals who were brought there died.
Dr Chua was referring to a complaint by family members of a rubber tapper who died at the Sungai Petani Hospital Wednesday.
They claimed that P. Rajamah died due to the hospital's delay in admitting her.
A report in a newspaper Thursday said that Rajamah was supposed to undergo an operation to reduce a swelling in the brain at a private hospital but was sent to a government hospital because the Intensive Care Unit at the private hospital was full.
Speaking to reporters after a working visit to the Temerloh Hospital today, Dr Chua said it had become a trend for private hospitals to send their patients to government hospitals on the excuse that they did not have ICU facilities or the patients could not meet the high cost.
"After getting the payment (for the surgery), patients are sent to government hospitals and, when the patients die, we (government hospitals) are blamed," he added.
Dr Chua said he did not want the government hospitals to be blamed for the death of patients from private hospitals.
"We are being accused of not attending to the patients, making them wait too long .... We have to review this and, perhaps, will cease the co-operation with private hospitals like in the case of accepting their patients for post-surgery treatment," he told reporters after a working visit to the Temerloh Hospital, here Thursday.
Earlier, in his speech, Dr Chua said the government had no plans to build new hospitals under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
However, he said, several hospitals would be upgraded to ensure quality service for the people. He said the ministry would increase the number of health clinics, adding that there were 4,000 clinics nationwide.

Review building of costly hospitals

The building of big hospitals that cost more than five-star hotels needs to be reviewed, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
“We can’t afford to build a hospital that costs between RM500mil and RM700mil,” he said.
He added that the ministry was in favour of small ones; for example, a 20-bed hospital with basic medical facilities such as a maternity ward and an X-ray machine.
Pointing out that a 76-bed hospital costs more than RM100mil to build, he said that some of the big hospitals were under-utilised.
He said some were operating at half capacity and with a bed occupancy rate of less than 25%.
“We have one or two nurses looking after one patient in some hospitals while in others there are not enough staff. This is a luxury we can’t afford and we have to readjust,” he added.
He felt that there was a need to have open tenders to reduce the rising cost of constructing hospitals.
“With open tenders, there will be competition and we can keep costs down,” he said after visiting the Cameron Highlands Hospital site here yesterday.
He also visited hikers Rahman Othman and his nephew who were recuperating at the Tanah Rata Hospital. The two were rescued after they went missing while hiking up Gunung Brinchang on Tuesday.
On the abandoned Cameron Highlands hospital project, Dr Chua said work would start in a month and it was expected to be completed within eight months.
The original contractor had failed to complete the project, which was supposed to be completed in 2004 at a cost of RM98mil. Syarikat Mars Trading and Construction (M) Sdn Bhd has been awarded the RM46mil contract to complete the remaining 33% of the work.

Anti-smoking drive should target the young

The young should be targeted in the anti-smoking campaign, as many of them are picking up the habit, said state Assistant Minister for Public Health Dr Soon Choon Teck.
“The trend should be stopped,” he added after launching a healthy lifestyle campaign organised by the state Health Department at the waterfront here yesterday.
Dr Soon said smokers risked having heart problems and urged parents to show a good example by staying away from cigarettes and excessive consumption of alcohol.
He was concerned that some youths in their early 20s were found to be suffering from hypertension.
It was also important for people to lead a healthy lifestyle and cut down on oily food to check obesity, he said, adding that cycling was a good form of exercise.
Earlier, at the ceremony, he urged local authorities and developers to provide cycling tracks, which were lacking in cities and towns.

Obesity becoming a huge problem

The trend of more and more Malaysians neglecting "tolak-tarik" (exercise) but indulging in sweetened teh-tarik has led to 27% of the 25 million people being obese.
Pantai Holdings Berhad chairman Datuk Dr Ridzwan Abu Bakar said obesity is becoming an emerging health problem and it may put a huge burden on the country's human and economic resources.
Ridzwan said this at a seminar entitled, "Morbid Obesity and Lap Band Surgery" at Pantai Medical Centre yesterday.
Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said obesity is not simply a negative social stigma but is also a chronic illness, which is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate.
He said erratic meal patterns and a generally more sedentary lifestyle have resulted in overweight and obesity being an increasingly prevalent childhood nutritional disorder in the country.
Abdul Latiff said the cost of treating obesity is escalating and because most obese children grow into obese adults, this trend, if left unchecked, will affect healthcare.
He said people suffering from obesity resort to dieting and other weight management programmes at some point in their lives but such programmes are usually only marginally successful with patients shedding no more than 10% to 20% of their excess weight.
Abdul Latiff said an alternative method - bariatric surgery done laparoscopically - by far achieves a greater rate of excess weight loss of up to 70%, thus reducing co-morbidities.
He said this at a press conference after officiating the seminar on morbid obesity and lap band surgery where Prof Paul O'Brien, Emeritus Professor of Surgery and director of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia made a presentation on morbid obesity and lap band surgery.
Lap band surgery was introduced as a sustainable weight loss solution for morbidly obese patients at PMC in mid-January last year.
PMC is the first hospital in the country to offer and conduct laparoscopic gastric banding (lap band) surgery as treatment for morbid obesity.
The surgery involves applying a prosthesis (lap band) around the stomach, creating a small gastric pouch and a calibrated opening to the rest of the stomach.
To date, PMC has successfully performed lap band surgery on five patients, weighing between 97kg and 204kg.
The first patient lost a total of 53kg, or 74%, of her excess weight after surgery with no complications and the latest patient who underwent surgery in March lost 15kg in two months.

Space medicine training

Three Malaysian scientists have been chosen for two weeks’ training on space medicine in Russia from June 13.
They are Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh of the Royal Malaysian Air Force Flight Medical Institute, Dr Yahya Mat Arip of Universiti Sains Malaysia, and Dr Fathinul Fikri Ahmad Saad of Universiti Teknologi Mara.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry’s National Space Agency said in a statement today the scientists would undergo training at the Faculty of Basic Medicine of the Lomonosov Moscow State University and Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Retired staff upset by UMMC ‘about-turn’

About 150 pioneer staff of the then University Hospital (UH), who had each put in more then 25 years on the job, received a rude shock recently when they learnt they are now not entitled to free medical care at the hospital.
Retired UH Staff Union council member and coordinator for retirement benefits K. Vellaithan said the hospital, now known as University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), had refused to provide medical benefits to the retired staff, comprising nurses, and para-medical, professional and administrative staff who were under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme.
Most of staff had been with the hospital since it opened in 1966.
Vellaithan said employees in a similar scheme at Bank Negara, Tenaga Nasional and the EPF continued to get free medical benefits from public hospitals, including the UMMC.
“The withdrawal of medical benefits came as a great shock to us. Few have medical insurance coverage and as senior citizens we need medical care.
“Some of us are still burdened with housing loans and cannot afford to pay the private sector medical charges,” he said.
UMMC director Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jamaluddin said it was government policy to provide benefits to those in the pensionable scheme, as they did not get a big gratituty when they retired.
“Nevertheless, they were our staff and we usually evaluate their appeals and provide the medical benefits on a year-to-year basis.
“Once the National Health Financing Scheme is introduced, those under the EPF will have their medical needs taken care of,” he added.
However, Vellaithan said the hospital had failed to honour its commitment made 17 year ago.
In 1986, they were promised retirement medical benefits if they remained at the hospital at a time when there was an exodus of nursing and professional staff to the private sector and other countries.
The medical benefit scheme was announced in a circular on Oct 4, 1986. A press statement dated July 28,1986, had also said that the staff would be issued with a Kad Pesara Skim KWSP Hospital University upon retirement.

Japan Donates Breast Scanning Machine To NSFPA

The Japanese government has donated a breast scanning machine under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects Scheme as its contribution towards enhancing health and quality of life of women in the state.
The ultrasound breast probe worth US$5,264 (RM20,032) was presented by the Economic Counselor of the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia Shinichi Hasono to the Negeri Sembilan Family Planning Association (NSFPA) President Datuk Dr Loke King Loong, here hursday.
The machine was purchased following the signing of an agreement between the Japanese government and NSFPA in February this year.
Hosono said the donation was the second contribution from the Japanese government to the NSFPA. The first was an ultrasound scanning machine in 2002.
The machine would benefit more than 10,000 women in Negeri Sembilan were hoping for medical check-ups for breast cancer currently, he said, noting that "this could lead to effective treatment in the early detection of breast cancer."
He said since 1989, Japan had donated about RM9.2 million through 86 projects, to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as local governments in Malaysia under the scheme with a view to assisting small but socially important projects at the grassroots level.
Meanwhile Loke said the ultrasound scanner and the breast probe would be made available to the women at very nominal charges.
He added these efforts showed the association's commitment in improving its clinical services by keeping abreast with the latest technology.
"Being a non-profit organisation with over 40 years of existence, the association had progressed through leaps and bounds to provide essential family planning cum sexual reproductive health care services to the people of Negeri Sembilan.
"NSFPA is complementing the Malaysian government's good work towards enhancing family health," he said.

Hepatitis B main cause of liver cancer

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers among Malaysian men, accounting for 4% of all cancers, according to the Malaysian Liver Foundation.
Foundation vice-president Dr Robert Ding said it was was most common among Chinese at 59.4%, followed by Malays (35.6%) and Indians (5%).
About 70% of liver cancer cases were due to Hepatitis B, he added.
“We advise screening for liver cancer every six months for early detection and to reduce the mortality from the disease,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
Dr Ding said the foundation and state health department would jointly organise the Penang Hepatitis Day on Sunday from 10am to 6pm at Sunshine Square in Bayan Baru.
Blood tests, vaccination for hepatitis A, B and combined A and B shots will be available at special rates.
There will also be a free public lecture on hepatitis, a poster exhibition, a health quiz and an organ donation campaign.
Dr Ding said the event aimed to educate and create public awareness on hepatitis.

Fast food for blood donors

The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) is offering fast food discount vouchers to encourage more youths to become regular blood donors.
Its vice-chairman Datuk Dr Bahri Abu Mansor said such blood donors could also engage in activities like first-aid training and participate in health talks organised by the MRCS at no charge.
He said the offers were part of the incentives under its Pledge 25 programme targeted at getting those aged between 18 and 25 to become regular blood donors.
“A survey has shown that most youths have untainted blood, unlike those in older age groups,” he told a press conference at the MRCS headquarters here.
Dr Bahri said youths would have to donate blood three times per year after they signed up as Pledge 25 members.
“They will be issued membership cards so they can enjoy the incentives.
“However, we hope the youths will come forward to donate blood voluntarily and sincerely, and not because of the incentives,'' he said, adding that the programme would be launched by the end of the year.
He said the MRCS was in the midst of discussing the programme with the Health Ministry and Higher Education Ministry.
“We hope to set up counters at universities and colleges on the first day of registration so that the students can sign up as members,” he said.
Under the programme, Dr Bahri said, the MRCS would organise blood donation campaigns at the institutions on a regular basis.
At present, youths comprised only 25% to 30% of blood donors, he said.

Cancer Survivors To Take On Aussies In Boat Race

A group of gutsy Malaysian women, all survivors of breast cancer, would take on the team from Adelaide Survivors Abreast Inc (ASAI) in a dragon boat race in Penang this Sunday.
A local team from the breast cancer welfare association of Federal Territory and Selangor, which has 400 members, has been undergoing training for the event over the last four months.
Association committee member Barbara Khoo said the purpose of the race was to tell Malaysians that cancer patients could lead active lives even after being struck by the deadly disease.
"Each team could have 10 paddlers, one stirrer and one drummer in the race. This is our first competitive outing," she said.
She told reporters at a tea reception hosted by Australian High Commissioner James Wise at his residence to vote for the team.
Khoo said the association hoped to make this event an annual affair but sponsors were hard to come by.
Meanwhile, ASAI spokeswoman Lynn Hill said ASAI came in contact with the association last year and had been working with them.
"We are on our way to Vancouver, Canada to participate in a boat race competition and we felt it would be nice to compete with the Malaysian ladies first," she added.

Free Needles And Condoms Less Expensive, Says Dr Chan

It would be less expensive for the government to supply free needles and condoms rather then spending tax payers money trying to cure the HIV carriers and drug addicts.
Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the Health Ministry's proposal might sound absurd, but as far as the medical side was concern, that would be a better measure to curb the problem of drug addicts and the spreading of HIV virus in the community.
"It would be much more expensive if you try to cure them... this people are not productive anymore, so this is a small price (for tax payers) to pay," he said.
Dr Chan was asked to comment on Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek's statement that the ministry would embark on a six-month pilot project to supply free needles and condoms to 1,200 injecting drug users (IDU's) beside providing them with methadone, a drug substitute.
"The moral side I would not want to comment...but as far as medical side is concern, that is a better thing to do rather than letting them to use needles and pass them around, which will then increase the chance of people being infected," he said, relating to his personal opinion as a medical doctor.
On the state government's stand of the issue, Dr Chan said so far the Cabinet had not discussed the matter.
Dr Chan's opinion was echoed by the president of the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Division Chinese Association Dr Chou Chii Ming, but felt that there should be strict control as to who should get the free needles and condoms.
"Providing free needles and condoms will not be sufficient as we do not know who around us are drug addicts of HIV carriers. So, those people who get these things must register themselves," he said.
The ministry's proposal was also lauded by a community leader, Kapitan Lim Sin Khee, who believed that prevention was better than cure.
"It is good because we have to prevent the AIDS-causing virus from spreading. More importantly, drug addicts have to appreciate what the government is doing.
"As the number of drug addicts and HIV carriers is increasing, it is imperative that the government take stringent measures to stop the spread of the virus," he said.

PM To Launch Healthy Lifestyle Campaign In Port Dickson

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to launch a national campaign on healthy lifestyle 2005 at Dataran Kemang in Port Dickson on Saturday.
State Health Director Dr Rosnah Ismail said in a statement Tuesday, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan will also be present.
In conjunction with the campaign, a lifelong healthy lifestyle carnival 2005 will be held for three days beginning Friday.
Dr Rosnah said among the activities at the carnival are health exhibition, cooking demonstration, silat and cultural performance, public forum, medical check ups, aerobics, jogathon, sports competition, quiz, mini concert and sale of small industries' products.

New emphasis on kids’ health

Health and lifestyle education for schoolchildren has been grossly neglected – a situation the Health Ministry wants to change.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said that after a self-evaluation, the ministry realised that a more-focused approach was needed to draw up programmes at the school and grassroots level.
“We have not utilised the school educational programme well enough. After the self-evaluation, we feel we should be more focused, and to concentrate on the schoolchildren that are our target.
“We also want to get the involvement of the states and districts. With an adequate budget, we hope to have a continuous programme,” he said in an interview.
Consequently, he said, one follow-up action to the ministry's healthy lifestyle campaign was to develop health educational programmes.
Dr Chua said a “knowledge, attitude and practice” study conducted in 1999 showed that in the Klang Valley the level of knowledge on healthy nutrition was the lowest among primary school children and the elderly.
“The level of knowledge among secondary school students was slightly better, but far from satisfactory,” he added.
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey in 2003 revealed that 25.3% of Malaysian youth were tobacco users – 39.2% of boys and 11.2% of girls surveyed were reported to be using tobacco.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Master of Clinical Psychology Programme co-ordinator Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon had said in April that more children in kindergartens were experiencing stress from having lots of homework with no time to play.
Children had been the focus of the ministry's 1994 healthy lifestyle campaign, while its “Be Healthy for Life” programme in 2003 targeted young people who smoked.
Dr Chua said it was important for parents to be role models for their children by practising a healthy lifestyle and creating an environment for this.
“At the school level, the management needs to play a role in having a suitable environment and infrastructure for healthy living.
“Teachers can play an important role in nurturing the young to not take up smoking and other unhealthy habits. We cannot deny the fact that the influence of teachers and peers is important during the schooling years,” he added.

No instant results from HIV plan

It will be some years before the harm reduction programme shows any effect in reducing HIV infection, said Malaysian Harm Reduction Working Group convenor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.
“It depends on how large the coverage is; and at least 50% of injecting drug users (IDUs) need to be included to see any effect within five years.
“Malaysians have to be realistic – it will not happen overnight. It does not mean that if the number of infections remains the same the following year that the programme is not working,” she said yesterday.
“And one must be aware that because there is a large number of HIV positive IDUs, it will be harder to bring down the numbers compared with if we had started when the numbers were low,” she said.
She said, according to the World Health Organisation, pilot projects to see whether it would be successful were no longer necessary. Providing condoms under the programme would lessen the risk of being infected through sexual behaviour, she added.
Dr Adeeba had earlier given a press briefing together with Malaysian AIDS council president Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Malaysian Harm Reduction Working Group member Datuk Zaman Khan and Ikhlas Drop-In Centre project manager Lenny Ng.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek last week said the Government was considering including the needle exchange programme and condom distribution under the harm reduction programme.
Dr Adeeba said that a successful harm reduction programme depended on whether there were enough community workers, budget and training.
“We have to educate outreach workers and identify the 'hot zones' (where IDUs are concentrated). The police need to understand what is happening so that they will not disturb (outreach workers).
“Many developing countries have introduced the harm reduction programme, including Asian and Muslim countries. It's not true that they have stopped the programmes,” she said.

Choose to Be Healthy for Life

AS LONG as the food tastes good, Malaysians will eat it, declared Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“They are not concerned about a balanced diet. Most times, the food is too salty, sweet or contains too much fat. They do not bother to divide their protein, carbohydrates or fat. Or eat more vegetables and fruits.
“The gravy for nasi beriani has too much salt and nasi lemak, which appeals to all Malaysians, is too oily and spicy. And you top it off by having sweet teh tarik.
“The Chinese have their dim sum, which is also oily, salty and fatty. People are not eating the correct amount of food. They are eating excessively,” a flustered Dr Chua said.
He has warned time and again of the negative effects to health if Malaysians continued with their downward spiral to the world of detrimental living.
“If you do not exercise and eat a lot, you are going to have problems and suffer from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and osteoathritis.
“And if you are diabetic with high cholesterol, it is like being passed a death sentence because of the risk factors – these contribute to heart disease, stroke and cancer,” he added.
After 11 years of trying to get Malaysians to adopt a healthy lifestyle, the ministry seems to be at its wits' end in achieving this. Its healthy lifestyle campaign, which is divided into three phases, seems to have not had any positive effect in creating healthy Malaysians.
Into its third phase, the focus of the campaign now is on promoting behavioural changes so Malaysians can achieve and maintain better health.
Dr Chua said the slogan chosen –“Be Healthy for Life” – reflected the campaign's emphasis and focus to get people at all stages of life to promote their own good health.
It focuses on four basic elements of a healthy lifestyle: healthy eating, exercise and physical activity, no smoking and coping with stress. The latest to be added to the list is getting Malaysians to give up alcohol.
The first and second phase concentrated on diseases, and health behaviour and lifestyle respectively.
The future of the health of Malaysians looks bleak, judging by statistics. Among them is that the total calorie intake of Malaysians has increased from 2,400 to 2,900 in 10 years. The average intake should be 2,200.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey 1996 revealed that only 30.9% of the population exercised, and only 11.6% exercised adequately. It also revealed that 70% of Malaysian women had never exercised.
Estimates indicate that there will be 4.4 million obese or overweight Malaysians by 2020. There are now about 900,000 adult diabetics and it is estimated that 15% of the population would have diabetes by 2020 and 30% of adults hypertension.
More than half of adult Malaysian men smoked. This is higher than the figures for developed countries like Britain (38%), the United States (35%) and Sweden (30%).
A study by the ministry's Public Health Institute in 2003 revealed that mental disorders contributed 8.6% of the burden of disease in the country while unipolar depression stood at 3.6%.
Dr Chua predicted that mental illness would be the second most major disease in five to 10 years' time.
“From my first day in the ministry and when we started talking about this campaign, I had a strong feeling that it would not be effective,” he said.
He went on to list some of the reasons that had contributed to the campaign's ineffectiveness. This includes lack of funding for the campaigns, lack of involvement at state and district levels and not fully utilising media like the television.
“We also feel that there is very little follow-up to the programme launch. There is a big 'hoo-ha' and a lot of money is spent for the launches but there is no follow-up action.
“I recently had to present the Cabinet with a paper for a special budget for HIV and healthy lifestyle. There was no budget. It was just talk,” he added.
The getting of states, districts and grassroots to be involved in the campaign can be seen in the ministry's Jom Kayuh (Let's Cycle) campaign, which was launched on May 14.
Jom Kayuh involves a tour to different states by cyclists, who are members of the community, and state or district ministry staff.
Each stop would see the launching of the state-level healthy lifestyle campaign, where free pap smears and health checks on glucose level, body mass index and blood pressure are conducted. Pamphlets would also be handed out.
The participating cyclists will be welcomed at the last pit stop in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Saturday.
Because of the ineffectiveness of previous programmes, Dr Chua said the ministry had decided to change its direction in the running of the campaign. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the major thrust would be health promotion. This would include using the media, NGOs and Hospital Visitors Board.
“It is the cardinal principle for medicine anywhere in the world that prevention is better than cure,” said Dr Chua.
Despite the challenge, he said getting Malaysians to change their behaviour was exciting.
“It has been grossly neglected. I was quite surprised to look at the budget under the Eighth Malaysia Plan and saw that the figure allocated for prevention was not significant.
“There was a fixation on curative rather than preventive medicine,” he said.

Fast-track lane for old at hospitals

The old, disabled and the very sick can soon cut queues at government hospitals to see the doctor.
This should cheer the nation’s 1.8 million elderly, 200,000 disabled and very ill patients who wait to seek treatment.
Implementation of this long-overdue move to give priority to these patients has begun in some hospitals in Penang, Seremban and Malacca.
The fast-track lane project is in various stages of implementation at several other hospitals.
Datuk Dr Ismail Merican, the director-general of Health, told the New Sunday Times: "These categories of people need immediate care and attention. They cannot be made to wait for hours to see a doctor."
A nursing sister or someone of equivalent rank would seek out such patients.
"The task of (a) nursing sister is only to go round the outpatient department, spot these people and take them through the fast-track lane for immediate treatment," said Dr Ismail.
Commenting on waiting time at hospitals, he said: "I was told that before I took over as director-general, the waiting time for getting medicine at the Selayang Hospital was two hours.
"Now I have been told by friends that it is 10 to 15 minutes. That means that things can be improved."
He said waiting time at most hospitals was about 90 minutes. At some hospitals it was even less.
However, he said waiting time at certain clinics was long. He said hospital staff needed to make only a little effort to ensure people did not wait too long for anything, including collecting medicine.
"I am also concerned about the counter service because that is where most grouses arise. I think courtesy, politeness and respect for one another is important, including respect for other people’s time."

Tobacco expo likely to be on

A tobacco expo is likely to be held in Kuala Lumpur in November, although the Health Ministry has told the organisers to “relocate the event outside of Malaysian shores.”
The organisers, who are said to have received approval from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), have already set up a website on their event.
Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control president Prof Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid said the expo should be cancelled, as it would only diminish efforts taken against smoking in the country.
He also claimed that the council had received no “solid” response from DBKL to address their concerns about the expo.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek had said earlier that the ministry, although strong in its stand against smoking and did not support the expo, had no power to stop private companies from carrying out such an event.
In a letter to the ministry, the organisers said they had chosen Kuala Lumpur as their “first and only choice” in Asia due to its good infrastructure, flight connections, hotels and the new Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
The organisers also claimed that they were told by DBKL to consult the ministry after submitting an application to it.
The ministry in its reply, however, made it clear that if the expo were to be held in Malaysia, it would jeopardise the Government's image and position on tobacco control and advised them to relocate their event.
Efforts to contact DBKL about the situation have been met with “no comment” from the officials.
The website for the expo says the event is “a unique platform to promote exhibitors’ machinery and services to all members of the tobacco industry.
“Being accompanied by a thought-provoking symposium, Emerging Tobacco Markets 2005 is the Asian tobacco machinery event.”
It also said the expo was closed to the general public.

Check on beauty centres

All beauty centres will in the future have to satisfy strict requirements set by the Health Ministry before being given a licence to operate.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said this would be implemented under the Cosmetics Act expected to be passed next year.
“We want to ensure that beauty centres are safe and run by credible registered people who use registered products and avoided invasive treatment,” he said yesterday.
Dr Ismail said the Act would cover both the premises and practice of the beauty centres, and those carrying out cosmetic procedures and slimming programmes.
“We want to make sure that the premises, treatment and equipment are safe, and to know who is conducting the procedures,” he added.
Currently, he said, the ministry conducted investigations only when reports were lodged against beauty centres.
“We are not stopping the operations of places like slimming centres but we are concerned as to who is operating it, and what treatment and products are given.
“You can have slimming centres but it must have a holistic approach such as exercise or diet, and no intervention such as injecting products like Vitamin C, which can only be done by registered doctors.
“There are even now beauty centres, where the doctors or specialists are not registered, and these people have no business carrying out such treatments,” added Dr Ismail.
He said there were beauty centres that used unregistered products manufactured by multi-national companies.
The Malaysian Medical Association had voiced its concern last month about unqualified doctors providing anti-ageing treatment at health centres.
“Doctors, unless otherwise stated in their annual practising certificate, should not be working in these centres,” it had said.
The Malaysian Medical Council had said that it received complaints from general practitioners about patients, who came to them following complications from a beauty treatment.

Ugly side of those who know not

Poorly trained beauty therapists and dubious medical treatment are some of the complaints raised by customers who have frequented shoddy beauty centres.
Magazine sub-editor Aileen Chow, 28, said visits to several such beauty centres had revealed that a number of therapists showed a surprising lack of knowledge on the treatment they were administering.
“Even when some of their treatment with machines was painful, and I told them, they still continued giving it.
“I wonder if they understood what they were doing or what kind of physiological damage their treatment could cause,” she said yesterday.
She was responding to the announcement by Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican that all beauty centres would in the future have to satisfy strict requirements set by the ministry before being issued a licence to operate.
Under a new Cosmetics Act expected to be passed next year, the regulations would cover both the premises and practice of the beauty centres, and those carrying out cosmetic procedures and slimming programmes.
Accountant Siti Aishah Mohd Nordin, 36, who visits a cosmetic centre once a month, said it was essential that the Government monitored beauty centres to weed out errant operators.
“We spend a lot of money for beauty and cosmetics, and we have to know that these centres are credible. I don't want to be a victim of a disaster,” she said.
Beauty assistant Sophia Goh, 23, said drastic consequences could result from flawed beauty treatment, especially if it involved surgery or injections.
“If anything goes wrong, it will cost a lot to rectify it,” she said.

Let's eat healthy at school

Roti canai, nasi lemak, noodles, curry puffs and starchy kuihs are just some local breakfast staples commonly found in school canteens around the country. While delicious and popular, these dishes may not be the healthiest of options for children.
Schools should play a major role in promoting healthy eating habits among pupils. Research shows that unhealthy eating habits picked up in childhood often continue through adulthood.
Nutrition Society of Malaysia president Dr Tee E Siong says, “An obese child is more likely to become an obese adult as cholesterol deposits start in childhood. This is serious as obesity leads to health problems like diabetes and heart disease.”
Specialist in community, child and clinical nutrition Rekha Naidu, who has 22 years of experience working as a dietician in the United Kingdom, Botswana, and Malaysia, says growing children require three main meals a day – breakfast, lunch, dinner – as well as two to three snacks.
“Breakfast plays a very important role as energy is required by the brain for school children to concentrate. This is vital for everyone.
“A mid-morning snack should provide nutrients and energy from the main food groups – carbohydrates, fats, protein – plus fruits and vegetables for fibre and vitamins.”
What healthy choices would she recommend for children?
“Something low in fat content,” says Rekha.
“For instance, instead of eating nasi lemak or roti canai every day, limit this to two or three times a week. Also, the fat content in these recipes can be reduced. The Healthy Recipe Book produced by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia shows how to make healthy nasi lemak.”
Chocolate rolls, cakes or sugar-filled drinks like soda and syrups are also a no-no if we want children to perform optimally in class.
A British study conducted two years ago by researcher Dr Claire Pincock reveals that children who chose sugary snacks over a proper breakfast did not perform very well. The Reading University research project showed that nine to 16-year-olds who ate traditional breakfasts of healthy cereals performed better at mental tasks than their counterparts who had chocolate or fizzy drinks. The second group reacted to mental activities at the same rate as 70-year-olds!
“Although cognitive functions decline in the morning, we found that the rate of decline among children who ate complex carbohydrates (from cereal or toast) was only half that among children who ate simple carbohydrates found in sugary food,” says Dr Pincock.
Healthy eating however does not mean cutting out everything that you like.
“That is a myth. The basic idea is to eat everything in moderation,” says Rekha.
Educating caterers
School canteen operators, says Rekha, must be educated on how to reduce the fat and sugar content in meals.
“School canteens require the guidance of qualified nutritionists or dieticians. The Health Ministry, the Nutrition Society of Malaysia and the Malaysian Dieticians’ Association should work together to promote healthy eating in schools.
“Canteens should provide more fruit and vegetable options, for instance, sweet corn in a cup,” she adds.
The hygiene of school canteens and the nutritional value of food sold there can be improved by implementing some very simple changes to common practices. For instance, she says, canteens can use filtered or boiled water, and sell less syrupy drinks.
Steps have recently been taken to enhance school children’s awareness of food nutrition and cleanliness, says Rekha.
“Since 2003, students have been asked to record their food intake in school. However, not many parents are aware of this. This exercise was introduced to increase awareness about healthy snacks so students can make right choices.”
Better but not enough
In recent years, school canteens have improved in terms of types of food sold, said secondary school teacher Rosalind Tan.
“About seven years ago, you could find a wide variety of junk food –- from locally-manufactured prawn crackers to puffs of various sizes. Now, these are not sold anymore. You may have some freshly fried keropok leko or french fries but no more processed chips. Fizzy drinks are also scarce,” says Tan.
National Union of the Teaching Profession president Ismail Nihat says pressure from Parent Teacher Associations as well as more stringent Education Ministry guidelines are responsible for this.
Food servings at school canteens are small and may not be enough for growing children. – Filepic
“The guidelines are very clear about the type of food that is allowed or not allowed to be sold in school canteens. Processed food is not encouraged and neither is food with colouring and preservatives. Hot food such as fried noodles or red bean porridge, for instance, must be freshly prepared.
“While we still receive complaints from parents about schools that do not follow these guidelines, these are in the minority,” he says.
The Association of School Canteen Operators president William Huee agrees that the sale of junk food is much less than it used to be five years ago although there are still schools that flout the guidelines.
A review done by the association some time ago suggests that operators in certain states are more defiant of ministry guidelines than others, with some schools finding ways to get around prescribed rules by selling junk food inco-operatives instead of in school canteens.
“Our review shows that some canteens, especially in Pahang and Terengganu, are still selling junk food, fizzy drinks, sweets and popcorn with artificial colouring. This is worrying.
“What is worse, school co-operatives that are not allowed to sell food are actually selling junk food to students,” said Huee.
Student Manisha Gopal says she and her friends prefer to buy food from the school's co-operative.
“The co-op sells home-made cakes which are really nice as well as Twisties and Cheezels which we cannot get in the canteen. We only spend about 50 sen on these snacks; this allows us to save some of our pocket money,” she says.
Klang Malay Canteen Operators Association secretary Abdul Rahman Abdul Rahim adds that another problem was outside vendors who park their vehicles outside the school compound either before or after school hours to sell junk food to children.
“What is the use of banning these types of food in the canteen if students can freely buy them outside? Something has to be done to stop these vendors,” he says.
Choice ok, servings measly
Sixteen-year old Zainab Ali has no problems with the food sold in the canteen of her school located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur but find portions too small.
“There is a wide variety of food to choose from and we get different menus for each day of the week.
“A plate of rice or a bowl of mee costs about RM1. But the amount is very little. It is not enough for me if I am really hungry,” she says.
Eleven-year-old Khatijah Kamal says she has to have two servings of nasi lemak if she wants to feel full.
“One packet is about 50 sen but I need to eat at least two packets before I feel full. Unfortunately, my allowance is not enough for me to buy two packets everyday. The same with the mee, nuggets or kuih sold – the portions are very small. I wish my canteen sold buns or bread – I think they are more filling,” she says.
National Collaborative Council of Parent Teacher Associations president Assoc Prof Mohd Ali Hassan says small portions are one way school canteen operators get around the price ceiling set by the authorities.
“There is a recommended price which operators have to follow. However, some raise their price, bit by bit, without permission or informing the school authorities. Others get around this by charging the same but reducing the portions. This is an area that needs enforcement,” he says.
Nine-year-old Elsie Chia says she has to rush to be the first in line during recess in case the food she likes runs out.
“My friends and I usually rush to the canteen as soon as the bell rings. We like the nasi lemak but because it is so popular, we have to make sure we are early or else there won't be any left. Most of us buy two packets each as one packet is too little. Some boys even eat three packets,” she says.
To save money, Elsie and her friends bring water from home so that they do not have to spend another 50 sen on drinks.
However, school canteen operator Lee, who has managed a stall in a school canteen in Petaling Jaya for the last two years, defended the prices charged.
“We cannot simply charge as we like as we are bound by the price set by the school in our contract,” says Lee.
“We charge between 40 sen for kuih or curry puffs and RM1.50 for a piece of fried chicken or a burger.
“We don't get much profit after paying for electricity, water and also our supplies,” he adds.

Prickly issues that must be addressed

PETALING JAYA: While it is a bold move by the Government to consider a needle exchange programme and condom distribution, proper implementation is vital to its success, said Malaysian AIDS Council president Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir.
“We commend the bold step but there is a need to put everything in place including public education or they will not understand what it is for. It will make a huge difference if the Government can do it.
“Having methadone is already a big step. If implemented properly, harm reduction can work,” she said yesterday when asked to comment on Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek’s statement that the Government was seriously considering the two methods under its harm reduction programme.
Pink Triangle Foundation said the Government should step up education programmes on HIV/AIDS at the same time.
Persatuan Pengasih Malaysia administration manager Abdullah Abdul Ghani said the proposals were against Pengasih’s policy of total abstinence in preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS.
“There may be pros and cons but if the public understands that the Government’s intention is to reduce the rising number of HIV and AIDS cases, it will not be a problem.”
Perak Mufti Datuk Harussani Zakaria voiced his objection.
“I disagree with free condom distribution except to married couples as it will be condoning illicit sex and against the religion,” he said.
Pemadam vice-president Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the Government should tread carefully.
“While it will certainly help in arresting the spread of HIV/AIDS, we cannot be seen to be encouraging drug use or promiscuity.”

Few claims recipients want to resume work

KUALA LUMPUR: There have been only a few takers since the Social Security Organisation started its “Return to Work” rehabilitation programme in February, and Socso feels it is fighting an uphill battle to get workers to accept it.
Socso medical and rehabilitation manager Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said many prefer to make disablement or invalidity claims and live with their condition rather than go for rehabilitation.
“We need to motivate them so that they don’t just look at the monetary benefits that they get from their impairment.
“We want them to look at the whole picture, because if they are able to continue working they stand to gain more than just the 50% to 65% claims they get from Socso,” he said.
The rehabilitation programme is currently in “pilot project” stage focusing on permanently disabled workers who suffer from back and cervical pains.
Socso is partnering DBC Back to Health (M) Sdn Bhd to provide the workers' rehabilitation, which is fully borne by Socso. The company carries out the rehabilitation at its centres in Plaza Ampang here and at Jalan Datuk Lau Pak Khuan in Ipoh.
It is estimated that of the more than 9,000 permanently disabled workers, some 30% have back and cervical injuries.
The aim of the rehabilitation programme is to get workers to resume their work, through motivation and counselling, and employers are encouraged to give the injured workers a chance to work again or, if this was not possible, to reassign them to another position.
Dr Mohammed Azman said studies carried out in Australia showed that the chances of someone returning to work after six months of medical leave was 50%.
If the medical leave was for more than 12 months, the chances of them coming back was only 20%.
“That’s why we want to intervene immediately when they suffer an injury,” he said.
Dr Mohammed Azman said the programme would eventually be expanded to cover a broader range of injuries.
“We are now in the final stages of including counselling and psychological rehabilitation for the current programme,” he said.

Malaysia to Start Anti-HIV Program

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysia will distribute free needles and condoms to drug addicts in a potentially controversial pilot project aimed at curbing HIV infections, the government said Thursday.
Clinics will provide 1,200 volunteer addicts with sterile hypodermics, condoms and methadone _ a painkiller that can help combat withdrawal symptoms _ for six months beginning in October, Health Minister Chua Soi Lek was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama.
Authorities will decide later whether to implement the plan on a permanent basis nationwide, Chua said, calling it a "clinical and medical initiative" that has yielded successful results in countries such as Australia and Belarus.
The government is aware that the proposal could stir public sensitivities, Chua said, but he stressed that it was not a sign that the government condones drug abuse or casual sex.
"We will give them needles so that they will not share needles," Chua said. "Morally, we're neutral. Actually, in medical reality, without condoms, HIV will spread."
With Malaysia trying to achieve the status of a developed country, it does not want to be known as "a developed nation ... with the highest number of HIV carriers in Asia," Chua said.
As of late 2004, at least 61,486 HIV infections have been reported in this nation of 26 million people, the minister said. Some 75 percent of them comprised addicts who shared needles, many of whom were also sexually active.
Government statistics indicate there are 300,000 drug addicts, though activists have said the real figure is much higher since many addicts have eluded arrest.

Chua: Adopt healthy lifestyle and avoid alcohol

PUTRAJAYA: After trying to get Malaysians to stop smoking, the Health Ministry now wants to discourage them from consuming alcohol.
Saying “No” to booze is the latest component to be included in the ministry’s healthy lifestyle campaign, said Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
The other components are having healthy eating habits, an active lifestyle and stress management.
He said that while alcoholism was not yet a major problem in the country, consuming alcohol, especially excessively, could have serious repercussions on the health and safety of the people. These included a higher risk of contracting liver diseases and accidents occurring due to drink driving, he said in an interview yesterday.
Dr Chua said there was already a higher incidence of Malaysians (30%-40% of the population) having fatty acids in their liver and if they consumed alcohol, complications of the liver such as cancer and cirrhosis could occur.
There was also a high occurrence of Hepatitis B among the people and alcohol could aggravate their condition, he said.
Dr Chua added that alcohol could be a contributing factor to road accidents.
“In terms of accidents, we have one of the highest rates in the world at 25 deaths per 100,000.
“Last year, there were more than 6,000 deaths. Recklessness is influenced by drugs and alcohol, but we have not come up with the figures as yet,” he said.