Malaysia to carry out landmark GM mosquito trial

AFP: KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia's health minister Sunday said the country would carry out a landmark field trial by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes designed to combat dengue fever by the end of the year.
Liow Tiong Lai said the delayed field trials, which were to have begun this month, were now back on track as laboratory tests had been done and the country's biosafety board had approved the mosquitoes' release into a controlled environment.
"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the GM anti-dengue mosquito trial will take place by the end of this year," Liow told AFP.
"On my side everything is clear. Now it's under the ministry of natural resources and environment, who will submit the plan to cabinet for final approval," he said.
Malaysia's death rate from dengue fever has spiralled 53 percent this year and the public is being urged to take action to eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes -- which spread dengue -- from homes and workplaces.
Liow's comments came ahead of a World Health Organization regional meeting starting on Monday in the Malaysian capital.
WHO regional director Shin Young-Soo welcomed the field trials.
"Over the last 10 years the number of dengue cases in the world has doubled and the situation this year is significantly worse than last year, so we welcome how Malaysia is responding to this threat," he said.
In the first experiment of its kind in Asia, 2,000-3,000 male Aedes mosquitoes are to be released in two Malaysian states.
The insects in the study have been engineered so that their offspring quickly die, curbing the growth of the population in a technique researchers hope could eventually eradicate the dengue mosquito altogether.
Females of the Aedes species are responsible for spreading dengue fever.
However, environmentalists are concerned the GM mosquito could fail to prevent dengue and could also have unintended consequences.
Critics have said the larvae will only die if their environment is free of tetracycline, an antibiotic commonly used for medical and veterinary purposes.
Dengue infection leads to a sudden onset of fever with severe headaches, muscle and joint pains, and rashes, which can lead to death if left untreated.

Understand menopause better, women urged

Star: PETALING JAYA: Many Malaysian women are suffering unnecessarily from menopausal symptoms due to a lack of understanding and a negative perception on treatment methods, said Malaysian Menopause Society president Dr Ho Choon Moy.
She said a survey by Universiti Malaya’s Health Research Development Unit revealed that more than 60% of middle-aged women appeared to be lacking in knowledge about health risks associated with menopause.
On top of that, only 6% of women seek hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in Malaysia, she said, adding that more could be done to increase awareness about menopause. Symptoms associated with menopause such as incontinence, hot flashes, excessive sweating, depression, memory loss, weight gain and osteoporosis can be treated, Dr Ho said at a press conference in conjunction with a World Menopause Day 2010 forum here yesterday.
She said a Women Health Initiative study in 2002 had wrongly created some negative reaction towards HRT treatment.
While there was no increased risk of breast cancer among women who took HRT in less than five years, the study claimed there was an increase of just eight cases (in every 10,000 women) among those who took HRT for more than five years.
“It is actually very low,” said Dr Ho, adding “what people failed to see were the many benefits – prevention of osteoporosis, good skin and teeth, good well-being, 30% increase of lifespan and a better quality of life.”
On herbal remedies, studies in Asia showed that 30% of women take natural or herbal remedies, she said.
On whether menopause could lead to suicide, Dr Ho said severe depression symptom was uncommon.
They were usually nothing more than mood swings, irritability and mild depression, she said.
“Women suffering from depression should get themselves checked to determine whether it was due to menopause or a psychiatric problem,” she said.

Malaysia To Celebrate World Organ Donation Week

Bernama: KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- For the first time, Malaysia will celebrate World Organ Donation Week with various programmes, aimed at increasing awareness in the registration of pledges to donate organs or tissues after death.
The 2010 Organ Donation Week will be held at the Astaka, Taman Titiwangsa, beginning Oct 17.
Its highlight is the 'Heart Talk' programme jointly organised by the National Heart Institute and IJN Foundation, as tribute to the sacrifices of organ donors and their families.
It also enables organ recipients to express gratitude for a chance at life.
According to Datin Dr Lela Yasmin Mansor, chief national transplant procurement manager of the National Transplant Resource Centre, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, organ donation was always remembered in most developed nations.
For the first time, Malaysia was also celebrating the event, she said Thursday.
The programme will begin with the Life Saver Walk Hunt in the morning, followed by an aerobic exercise before ending with the launch of the Organ Donation Week 2010.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai will officiate the donation week.

Liow To Doctors: Come Back And Serve The Country

Bernama: DUBLIN, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai urged Malaysian medical specialists who are currently working abroad to return and serve their home country.
Saying that although they could show patriotism anywhere in the world, it would be more meaningful if they could return to Malaysia and help strengthen its medical sector which was still facing shortage of specialists.
"We need them. They can either work in government or private hospitals," he said after meeting 22 Malaysian doctors and specialists here.
Liow said that at the meeting, several doctors expressed willingness to return while others said they needed more time to consider the matter and to gain more experience.
The government, Liow said, would provide facilities for the returning specialists in terms of promotions and salaries, saying the government would not stop them from joining the private sector.
Those working with the government would also be provided with assistance to further their studies and that they would be considered for promotions in various grades such as the UD43, UD47, UD51 and UD53 depending on their experience and qualifications.
At the meeting, Liow told them of the various improvements implemented by the government in the medical service especially in the specialist sector.
He said that time-based promotions had been implemented which allowed UD41 house officers to achieve the UD54 grade in 12 years, for non-specialists, and in nine years for specialists.
Doctors in government service also had ample training opportunities through programmes such as the "Open Master's Programme" which was given to 600 doctors since 2008 and would be increased to 800 next year, he said.
Also present at the meeting were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S.K. Devamany and Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot.
Meanwhile, Dr Tidi Maharani Hassan, one of the specialists at the meeting, expressed regret over the perception that doctors who served abroad were wasting the government's money.
Dr Tidi Maharani, who at 27 is the youngest specialist in Dublin, said many Malaysian doctors decided to serve abroad to gain experience which would be useful when they later return to serve their home country.
The pulmonologist said she was grateful for all the assistance given by the government but said that she took up employment abroad because of the laboratory facilities available apart from the training given.
Another doctor, Dr Kama Muhammad, 38, a consultant surgeon, urged the government to carry out improvements in all aspects of the medical service, not just in terms of the salary scales.

Six health institutes to come under one roof

Star: KUCHING: Six research institutes under the Health Ministry will be brought together under one roof to better serve the people.
The institutes for Medical Research, and of Public Health, Health Management, Health System Management, Health Behaviour Research and Clinical Research Centre will be housed in the proposed 1National Institutes of Health (1NIH) integrated complex in Setia Alam, Shah Alam. They are currently spread all over town.
Health Deputy Director-General Datuk Dr Maimunah Abdul Hamid disclosed that the Cabinet had approved the project which would be developed in a few years. The building cost has not yet been ascertained.
“We want all the six research institutes under the ministry under one roof,” she told reporters after opening the state Health Research Day in conjunction with Sarawak General Hospital’s 100th anniversary yesterday. “They were spread out because they were created one after the other.”
She said it was important for these centres to come together since health issues were interconnected.
“A lot of problems are not answered by one research question.
“Take dengue, for example. It involves research on the virus itself, people’s behaviour and how to deal with it.
“It’s all integrated,” she said.
Dr Maimunah also said the ministry would work with the tourism sector to promote healthcare to foreigners, especially those in the region and the Middle East.

Johns Hopkins University to set up medical school and hospital in Malaysia

Star: NEW YORK: The world-renowned teaching and research medical institution Johns Hopkins University will be setting up a medical school and hospital in Malaysia.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a site at Serdang in Selangor had been picked to set up the facilities, which would become a medical research hub for the region.
The medical school, he said, would offer a four-year programme, adding that it would be a private initiative between Malaysian and American investors.
It will be Malaysia’s first private teaching hospital with research facilities.
Speaking to Malaysian newsmen here on Friday evening, he said an agreement would be signed early next month.
The Prime Minister did not give details of the project but it is understood that a Malaysian public listed company would be involved in the medical city plan, estimated to cost RM1.8bil.
There are Johns Hopkins University campuses in China, Singapore, Italy and the United States. The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, non-profit institution.
Earlier, Najib met Dr Mohan Chellappa, the president of Global Ventures, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, where the Prime Minister was believed to be given an update on the 600-bed private hospital.
The prime minister said Johns Hopkins Medical International was a world-renowned medical school and had adopted a different curriculum compared to other schools.
“They are using the ‘Genes to Society’ curriculum, which is a more personalised medical approach,” he said, adding that the school provided a four-year programme and planned to take 100 students each year.
“Johns Hopkins has got a very good name. The idea is to create Malaysia as a hub,” he added.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai in welcoming the move said the presence of such a prestigious research facility in the country would boost Malaysia’s health tourism industry.
This, he said, was another feather in the cap for the country’s healthcare industry and would also prompt more Malaysian-born specialists and other health care professionals to come back and serve in the country.
Liow is currently in London in an effort to persuade Malaysian professionals involved in healthcare to return home and serve the country.
“I am here to convince them to return home and serve. I believe many will find it more gratifying to work in Malaysia now,” he said when contacted.
He is also speaking to Malaysian medical students and fresh graduates to convince them to return home once they complete their studies.

Firm working on vaccine to treat HFMD

Star: GEORGE TOWN: A Malaysia-based biotech company is set to develop a vaccine in eight years for the EV71 virus, which causes the infectious and potentially fatal hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).
The company embarking on this ambitious task is Sentinext Therapeutics Sdn Bhd with its laboratory in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang.
Its chief scientific officer Prof Dr Jane Cardosa said there was currently no vaccine or anti-viral agent to prevent or treat EV71 infection.
She added that the lab had found a vaccine candidate and was going through pre-clinical tests.
“Hopefully after 18 months, we can move to Phase 1 where we will test its safety on humans followed by efficacy trials (Phase 2). If the vaccine is taken up when it is (fully) developed, children can be protected from EV71, HFMD and some other diseases,” she said at a media briefing in USM yesterday.
“However, we won’t see the end of HFMD as it can still be caused by other viruses.”
The 59-year-old professor retired as Universiti Sarawak Malaysia Institute of Health and Community Medicine director in late August and is now a visiting professor at USM.
The vaccine being developed by Sentinext Therapeutics is a significant breakthrough because the EV71 virus has been consistently causing outbreaks of HFMD in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Prof Cardosa said the Singapore government had funded a company to research and develop a vaccine for the virus but it ceased operations after running out of funds.
The China government has also invested in a similar project but has a different approach from what Prof Cardosa’s lab is doing.
“Our vaccine is formulated from empty capsids to mimic the virus particle but there is no genome. So, it is not infectious,” she said.
Sentinext Therapeutics received a RM40mil fund from the Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund and Malaysian Technology Development Corp.
Besides developing and researching a vaccine for EV71, the company is also looking at vaccines for other tropical infectious diseases like malaria and dengue.

Rules on healthcare ads relaxed, says Liow

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Private healthcare providers will now be able to advertise their services in all mediums following the government’s decision to liberalise provisions under the Medicines (Advertisement and Sales) Act 1965, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Liow said this would allow private healthcare providers to make their services available to both locals and foreigners.
He said the move was in line with the Government’s decision to promote health tourism in Malaysia and raise the number of foreigners coming here by 20% annually from 336,000 visitors last year.
The liberalisation would also ensure that Malaysia maintained its competitiveness in attracting health tourists.
“The liberalisation of the provisions, which comes into effect immediately, will allow private hospitals, clinics and even dental clinics to advertise their facilities and services in newspapers, the electronic media and on the Internet as well as put up banners to announce new facilities.
“They can also advertise abroad but they will have to abide by the laws in those countries as well as the laws here.
“They can mention the latest equipment or treatment they have but they are not to use superlatives like ‘best’ or make comparisons,” he told a press conference after attending his ministry’s Hari Raya celebration.
Before this, private healthcare providers were only allowed to advertise through healthcare magazines and related publications and were not allowed to place advertisements outside Malaysia.
Liow said to further help the industry’s growth, the ministry’s Medicines Advertising Board had also shortened the time to approve applications for advertisements from six weeks to between three and five days now.
He however warned that the ministry would keep close tabs on advertisements related to the industry and those flouting the law would face a fine of up to RM3,000 and a year’s jail or both for the first offence and up to RM5,000 fine or two years’ jail or both for subsequent offences.
He said healthcare providers could go to www.pharmacy,gov.my or contact the ministry’s secretariat on medical advertisements at 03-7841 3200.
He said the ministry would also launch a large-scale campaign against dengue in Kelantan after the number of cases in the state rose by 160%

Malaysia's dengue death rate spirals 53 percent this year

AFP: KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia said Monday its dengue fever death rate spiralled 53 percent this year, but backed away from a controversial trial of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to wipe out the disease.
"There was a major rise in deaths due to dengue fever, with 107 deaths so far this year compared to 70 deaths for the same period last year," said deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin said the majority of the deaths could have been avoided, and urged the public to take action to eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes -- which spread dengue -- from their homes and workplaces.
"We have identified 19 hotspots throughout the country where the disease is prevalent, and action is being taken to tackle the situation in these areas," he said.
However, Muhyiddin was cool on a plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes designed to combat dengue fever, in a proposed landmark field trial that has come in for criticism from environmentalists.
In the first experiment of its kind in Asia, 2,000-3,000 male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were to be released in two Malaysian states in October or November if the plan had won government support.
The insects in the study have been engineered so that their offspring quickly die, curbing the growth of the population in a technique researchers hope could eventually eradicate the dengue mosquito altogether.
Females of the Aedes species are responsible for spreading dengue fever.
Muhyiddin said the project would not be implemented "at the moment".
"Seemingly it is quite an interesting (solution) to deal with such a problem but I think... not until and unless every aspect of research being carried out is clinically tested and... environmental issues have been addressed," he said.
"And of course most importantly at the end of the day, it is endorsed by international organisations -- that it is something we can apply for the purposes of dealing with the epidemic."
The development is a boon for environmentalists who were were concerned the GM mosquito could fail to prevent dengue and could also have unintended consequences.
Critics have said the larvae will only die if their environment is free of tetracycline, an antibiotic commonly used for medical and veterinary purposes.
The field trial for the GM anti-dengue mosquitoes was developed by a British-based insect bio-tech company, Oxitec, and was to be undertaken by the Malaysia's Institute for Medical Research, an agency under the health ministry.
Dengue infection leads to a sudden onset of fever with severe headaches, muscle and joint pains, and rashes.
The virus has historically been found in tropical regions, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas, but has spread in recent years to colder and higher places and is now endemic in more than 100 countries.

Liow: Lack of child nutrition a concern

Star: BENTONG: New mothers should breastfeed their babies for at least six months.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said there was a drop in the number of mothers who continuously breastfed their babies for at least four months, from 29% to 19% between 1996 and 2006.
“This shows we need to raise awareness to encourage more mothers to breastfeed.
“The first six months are crucial for the child’s growth, so good nutrition, especially mother’s milk is crucial before introducing the child to semi-solids or solids,” he told reporters yesterday after handing out food hampers to 52 malnourished children in Bentong Hospital.
On the large number of malnourished children up to six years old in the country, Liow urged local and district health authorities to strengthen monitoring and raising awareness among parents, especially in rural areas, to provide adequate nutrition for their children.
“In Malaysia, the practice of ensuring proper nutrition for infants is less than satisfactory,” he said.
Liow added there were 11,796 undernourished children nationwide, half of whom were in the rural areas.
He said undernourished children were usually from poverty-stricken families or those whose diets were not nutritionally balanced.
He said the National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006 also showed that only 41.4% of Malaysian infants were given proper nutrition.
“The time from birth to two years old is the most critical. If a child is malnourished at this stage and suffers stunted growth, it will not be easy to remedy when the child grows older,” he cautioned.
On another matter, Liow said the Cabinet had given the go-ahead for a national council for local government aimed at stopping the spread of dengue. It would be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The first inter-agency coordination meeting led by the Housing and Local Government and Health Ministries would be held after Hari Raya, he said.
“This meeting will include executive councillors from all states. We need to find ways and means to fight dengue in a more concerted effort,” he said.

Liow: Doctors have to inform of cases of rat urine disease to department

Star: ALOR GAJAH: Leptospirosis, a rat urine-borne disease that has caused the deaths of nine people in the country so far, has been made a notifiable disease, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said medical practitioners that come across or treat patients with bacterial infections related to leptospirosis or melioidosis would have to notify the district or state health department.
Speaking to reporters after launching the new pre-school and special education building at SJK (C) Machap Umboo with Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong here yesterday, he said the directive would enable health authorities to identify the source of the disease and implement preventive measures.
“When we are able to identify the source of the bacteria, measures can be taken to control it, including clean-up works, gotong-royong and closure of the affected area if necessary,” he said.
Liow urged the public, especially campers and jungle-trekkers to take care of their personal hygiene and keep their surrounding clean so that it would not attract rats.
He said a series of campaigns would be carried out nationwide to increase the awareness on leptospirosis.
Meanwhile, Liow said the rise in dengue cases and deaths because of the disease in the country was alarming.
The death toll from dengue hit 101 compared with 67 last year, he said, adding that cases in Kedah and Malacca had also increased 25% and 23% respectively.
“This is a shocking figure,” he said.

Dengue begins at home

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Homes can literally turn into death traps when it comes to dengue.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said authorities found Aedes larvae in the homes of more than 50% of people who died from dengue this year.
“As at Saturday, 30,350 dengue cases have been recorded, with 95 deaths. This is an increase from the 28,659 cases with 67 deaths recorded in the same period last year,” he said.
“We must take a serious proactive approach in fighting dengue. It is important to be aware that our homes can be breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquitoes,” he said after launching a blood donation campaign by Naturally Plus Malaysia Sdn Bhd and the National Blood Centre here yesterday.
Liow said for the week ending on Saturday alone, there were 847 dengue cases in the country, with one death recorded in the Federal Territory, adding that authorities were meeting dengue experts to find ways to combat the disease.
He said the Institute of Medical Research was also conducting a study on the drug-resistant NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1) superbug identified in India and Pakistan.
“We are waiting for the results before making an announcement. We do not want to cause unnecessary alarm.
“We are concerned about this bug as any bacteria, especially one described as a superbacteria can cause harm to the body. There are no details from the World Health Organisation yet,” he added.
The superbug had reportedly caused the death of a Belgian man and infected several people from Britain, Australia and the United States, who had travelled to India and Pakistan for surgery. The Belgian was reportedly infected by the bacteria after being hospitalised in Pakistan for a leg injury following a car accident.
According to the United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NDM-1 is an “enzyme that destroys many commonly used antibiotics, rendering them ineffective.”
On the leptospirosis and melioidosis infections that had claimed nine lives so far, Liow said these could be treated if detected early.
Leptospirosis is present in rat urine while melioidosis is a water-and-earth-borne bacteria.
“Those who feel sick or have fever, especially after outdoor activities, should seek treatment immediately,” he added.
Earlier, Liow encouraged people to donate blood during the current festive season when supply was low.
He added that 565,604 blood units were donated to the National Blood Centre last year.

'No' to teaching hospital adjacent Parliament

Sun2Surf: KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 8, 2010) : A plot of land adjacent to Parliament was the focus of businessmen for the setting up of an international teaching hospital.
It is understood that representatives of Johns Hopkins University had earlier this year made overtures to set up the Malaysian arm of the internationally-renowned institution on Jalan Ledang next to Parliament.
Another option was to develop the neighbouring Malaysian Medical Academy but this proposal may have included encroaching into a nearby forest reserve.
However, all proposals were turned down by the government.
Sources were quick to tell theSun that in spite of the interest in the land, this was not the motivation for a proposal to move Parliament House to Putrajaya.
“This had nothing to do with it. The proposal to shift Parliament was because the RM600 million PICC (Putrajaya International Convention Centre) was underutilised,” the source said.
He said the government was not keen on having the hospital so close to the Parliament complex and suggested that the representatives scout for other locations.
It is understood that Tanglin Hospital was proposed as an alternative, the only problem being it was too small. “There is just not enough space for a hospital of that magnitude. Even the open area surrounding Tanglin Hospital has limited space,” the source said.
He said any development plans of that magnitude would have to include the tearing down of the Statistics Department behind Tanglin Hospital.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said a proposal was made to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and any decision will come from the EPU.
"But my ministry is very supportive. We will welcome them as they are a great teaching hospital and we can benefit from them. However, there is nothing concrete," said Liow, returning calls from theSun.
He said finding a suitable location is one of the factors delaying progress of the RM2 billion project.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall officials said so far there had been nothing in black and white. “There have been no official applications for any such development,” said an official.
It has been reported that Johns Hopkins’ local partner is Sitt Tatt Bhd, which bought a stake in US-based Amcare Labs International – an affiliate of Johns Hopkins Medicine International and Johns Hopkins Medical Laboratories.
The reports said Amcare intends to make Malaysia a regional testing hub.
The Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) is understood to be in talks with Johns Hopkins as part of PKNS’ plans to develop a healthcare city. However, discussions are still at a preliminary stage.

Diabetes among children on the rise

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: More young people, some as young as seven, are suffering from Type 2 diabetes (T2D), a disease that generally hits those in their 50s.
Doctors say more primary school students have been diagnosed with T2D in the last decade, a fact that is alarming since the disease is usually linked to those much older.
The doctors found that the young diabetics were usually obese, and their condition could be traced to eating too much unhealthy food and having a sedentary lifestyle.
They said the disease was not just about having excessive sugar in the blood system but could also affect the patient’s vital organs like the heart, kidneys, nerves and eyes.
“The children’s bad dietary habits of eating burgers, nuggets, fried chicken, fries and carbonated drinks are also contributing factors,” Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre senior consultant paediatrician and paediatric endocrinologist Prof Dr Wu Loo Ling said, adding that long hours of homework, watching television and playing computer games added to the problem.
“Cases of children and teenagers with diabetes are increasing at a faster rate,” said Dr Wu. “Between 30% and 40% of children in Western countries are overweight and the problem of overweight Malaysian children is also on the rise.”
Endocrinologist Dr Lim Soo San said T2D was more apparent in people aged between 18 and 29.
“We even came across children who are below 10 years old and have T2D ,” Dr Lim said.
The Registry on Diabetes in Children and Adolescents (2006-2007) showed that 56% of the 42 T2D cases involved obese individuals.
Dr Lim said parents continued to feed their children with “junk food” due to their lack of awareness of the disease.
Dietician Mary Easaw-John said apart from bad eating habits, irregular eating hours had also contributed to the rising trend of T2D among younger people.
“People tend to eat out instead of packing food from home nowadays. And fried food is common in eateries,” said Easaw, who is Dietetics Food Services of the National Heart Institute senior manager.
The Third National Health and Morbidity Survey, conducted in 2006, showed that there was a high prevalence of overweight primary school children, and over 20% of them were obese.
Statistics pointed that Malaysia had the fourth highest number of diabetes cases in Asia, with 800,000 in 2007. The number is expected to jump to 1.3 million cases this year.
The recent survey also revealed that more than 43% of Malaysian adults were overweight or obese, twice the figure a decade ago.

National health plan still in first gear

The Sun A WOMAN with a 7cm tumour was referred by the Sungai Buloh Hospital to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH). A biopsy needed to be done to ascertain if the growth was malignant. She was given a date to see the oncologist at KLH – Feb 2011!

One does not need to refer to Paul the octopus to know that by then it may be too late for her. But the story of this woman, tragic as it sounds, is not unique.

Take a stroll along the corridors of the consultation rooms of KLH or University Hospital and you will meet patients who were given six months to a year for follow-ups, including those pertaining to serious and terminal diseases.

With the limited resources of drugs, equipment and professionals, it is a given that our hospitals just cannot cope.

As Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai explains: "The government has limited resources, 50% are with the government and another 50% are private healthcare. But the 50% in government healthcare handles 80% of the population."

But the question is not so much do we have sufficient resources, but whether we are managing them well and whether we have our priorities right? The government spends only 7% of its national budget on healthcare. In Budget 2010, there was even an almost 5% slash from RM13.8 billion to RM13.1 billion. The Malaysian Medical Association had said we spend only US$400 (RM1,280) per patient in healthcare. Our neighbours spend in excess of US$1,000 (RM3,200) per patient.

The use of a PET Scan machine to detect tumours costs around RM8,000 at a private hospital, but only RM500 at the Putrajaya Hospital. However, by the time your turn comes, you could be dead. If you survive the one-to-six-month waiting period, it could be too late.

Such machines cost RM8 million – only RM112 million to supply one to each general hospital in the 14 states – far, far less than the RM800 million it would cost to construct a new parliament building!

And while 97% of our pharmaceutical cost is subsidised, one wonders if the annual cost of RM800 million could be lowered if a Sdn Bhd was not given the monopoly to import and distribute drugs to public healthcare institutions.

While we are very much ahead in access to public healthcare, in contrast with many developing nations, the fact remains that our most vulnerable are still not getting the healthcare they deserve.

The minister’s announcement yesterday that the proposed National Health Financing Scheme (NFHS) will not involve the insurance industry is welcome, as at least we know it is not another profit-oriented scheme.

But here again, we have another example of how public healthcare is a continuously tried and tested animal, without any conceivable means of making it fair, comprehensive and yet not lead us into bankruptcy. Sihat Malaysia, e-Kesihatan and now NFHS just go to show that when it comes to a solid national health plan, we are still unable to move forward.

When you talk about getting the EPF to subsidise one’s medical costs, the criticism is that if one needs to dig into one’s life savings for medical treatment, then there is something seriously wrong with our health policy.

Britain’s National Health Scheme, which even the US is trying to emulate, is not in want of flaws but seems like a good option – the only thing is that it would mean getting Malaysians to pay more in taxes. And knowing Malaysians, we hate spending a sen more on even the most crucial things.

But like it has proven in the scheduled reduction of subsidies, the government is capable of making non-populist decisions. However, if such decisions are accompanied by or culminate in improved service and care, it would definitely have done right by the people. Now if only the government could give us an AAA guarantee that our money will be used for our welfare …

Health Ministry Replacing Old Hospitals And Clinics

PANTAI REMIS, July 19 (Bernama) - The Health Ministry will intensify efforts to upgrade health services including the construction of new hospitals and clinics to replace old buildings and those incapable of catering for increased patients.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said such measures were necessary to ensure that the health services provided were complete and comprehensive.

"The Health Ministry is always committed towards providing high quality service that can satisfy the people and is easily available especially in the rural areas. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), the ministry had approved a significant allocation to enable health infrastructure to be increased and expanded," he said at the official opening of the Pantai Remis Health Clinic, here Monday.

The RM10.24 million building was opened by the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.

"The new building can serve 120 patients every day compared with 80 patients at the old building.

"Besides assigning two medical officers and assisted by 42 trained staff, the clinic also has various sophisticated equipment for the patients' comfort," he added.

Squads to collect pledged organs

Star: BENTONG: The Government will soon form teams of specialist doctors in each state to speed up the harvest of donated organs.
Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the squads would comprise specialists of different organs and that health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican was studying how best to implement the system.
“Not just any doctor can harvest all the organs. The heart specialist may only be able to harvest the heart. He may not be able to harvest the kidney or other organs,” he said after launching the Bentong Health Carnival yesterday.
He explained that there were delays currently in harvesting pledged organs after a donor passed away, especially if they were outside of Selangor.
Currently, there is only one team based in Kuala Lumpur Hospital that specialised in organ harvesting, he said.
“If someone in Pahang donated his organ, the team has to fly there by helicopter to harvest the organ. We need to set up teams at state level and look into the networking on how to harvest the organs in the shortest possible time,” he said.
In Malacca later, Liow said Malaysia and China would work towards medical cooperation in research and development on communicable diseases through the setting up of a research laboratory at the Institute of Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur.
He described the cooperation as a step forward following the close ties forged during the Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak last year when both countries shared information about the disease.
Speaking to reporters after hosting a luncheon for his Chinese counterpart, Dr Chen Zhu, during a one-day visit to Malacca, Liow said the research would cover a wide range of communicable diseases, including that of dengue and malaria.
Apart from this, he said a centre of excellence in traditional Chinese medicine would also be set up in Malaysia through collaboration with China.
He also said that all hospitals would be directed to only allow senior doctors to carry out examination of suspected dengue cases.
This was to avoid such cases being turned away by hospitals, he said.
He was asked to comment on a report that a patient was turned away by Malacca Hospital on Friday after tests carried out by doctors failed to detect that she had contracted dengue.
The woman later admitted herself in a private hospital where she was confirmed to have the virus.
Liow said earlier that state health directors had been told to form at least 1,000 communication behavioural impact (Combi) teams to combat the surge in the illness.
“We hope all Rukun Tetangga can form Combi volunteer teams in residences and urban areas. This is the best method to wipe out dengue.”
He said that 25,942 cases of dengue have been recorded as of July 14 with 82 deaths.

Suspected dengue patients shouldn’t be sent home: Liow

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Doctors are urged not to send suspected dengue patients home pending blood test results, but keep them under observation in hospitals.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, expressing concern over the management of dengue cases in hospitals, said he had received complaints that some suspected dengue patients were sent home while waiting for the test results, instead of being placed under observation.
"I see a number of cases where the dengue patient died in the hospital just after one, two or three days of being warded. I want them (doctors) to look into the cases of death, how to minimise death.
"Once you place them in the ward, it would be easy to monitor. Apart from that, the monitoring should be carried out more closely and efficiently, every four hours. Don't send the suspected dengue patient back," he told Bernama in an interview.
Liow said efforts would also be intensified to fight dengue as the ministry targeted to implement up to 1,000 Communication for Behavioural Impact (Combi) programmes nationwide to reduce dengue cases.
Combi is a programme designed and recommended by the World Health Organisation to reduce dengue cases, with participation of the community. "We will get the NGO (non-governmental organisations) help, send officers to monitor all the Combi (programmes) so that they can be efficient," he said.
Apart from Combi, the ministry has also implemented its five-year 'Nasional Strategic Plan' to control dengue since last April, for the 2009-2013 period.
The target of the strategic plan is to lower the number of cases by 10% annually, with a 50% reduction target, from 49,335 last year to 21,430 this year.
"The dengue problem is very serious because the number of cases is still considered high as the ministry has been encouraging more community participation in the dengue control programme," he said.
Liow reiterated that the fight against dengue was everyone's responsibility as fogging with insecticides alone, would not be able to control it.
For as long as there was Aedes breeding, new mosquitoes would emerge after fogging and spread the disease, he cautioned.

1Malaysia mobile clinics to serve remote areas

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: After the success of the 1Malaysia clinic, the Government now plans to launch 1Malaysia mobile clinics as part of its continuous efforts to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to the people.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the mobile clinics, which would use buses fitted with facilities for medical treatment and equipped for minor surgeries, would serve remote areas with limited access to clinics.
“I believe with the launch of the mobile clinics, more people living in the rural areas, traditional kampung, estates and new villages can have access to better and quality healthcare,” he said at the Malaysian Medical Association’s 50th anniversary dinner here last night.
Besides this, the Government also planned to open more 1Malaysia clinics under the 10th Malaysia Plan, following the increasing popularity of these clinics among the people.
Najib also said the Government would provide better healthcare services for the urban poor, especially since 70% of the country’s population lived in towns and cities.
“Those living in the metropolitan areas, especially the urban poor should not be denied access to quality healthcare services,” he said.
He also said that although the Government was putting greater emphasis on health tourism, the healthcare and medical needs of Malaysians would not be neglected.
The Government, he said had set the target of achieving a ratio of one doctor to 600 people by 2015 from the current ratio of one doctor to 900 people.

Flat rate for all under new healthcare system mulled

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The rich, like everybody else except the very poor, need only contribute a “flat rate” to enjoy quality healthcare under the planned National Health Financing Scheme.
“It’s not like the higher your salary, the higher you pay. It’s a flat rate. It’s a minimal amount,” said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The scheme is not likely to be split into various sub-schemes to make people of different income levels pay differently, he told a press conference after opening a healthcare seminar here yesterday.
However, he said, those with higher incomes could opt to buy extra insurance to protect themselves if they want better medical services.
“If the rich want to have better service on top of what they already have, they can buy extra insurance,” he added, reiterating that the very poor would be exempted from contributing to the scheme.
“We always take care of the poor, they will not need to contribute. The Government will take care of their healthcare,” said Liow when commenting on a recent report that quoted him as saying that it would take another year before the scheme, designed to make healthcare affordable, can be implemented.
He had reportedly said that this was because it involves reviewing the Medical Act 1972.
Liow had announced in December last year that the Health Ministry was working on a plan to allow the public to seek medical treatment at private clinics without having to pay high medical fees.
He said the Government was considering paying a portion of the bill under the proposed plan.
Liow invited the public to give their views through the ministry’s website at www.moh.gov.my or his blog at www.liowtionglai.com

Wet season brings danger

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have more to fear from dengue than from the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, especially during the current raining season, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said 10 deaths had been recorded from dengue in the past two weeks while the last A(H1N1) victim – the 89th death since the outbreak last year – died on June 23.
He said although the ministry would continue to monitor the virus, dengue was serious with the increase in the number of fatalities.
“As at July 4, there were 24,240 cases with 81 deaths, as compared to 25,234 cases with 62 deaths in the same period last year. Selangor has the highest number – 10,699 cases with 34 deaths.
“Although the number of cases has dropped slightly, fatalities have increased. We are concerned about it,” he said, adding that there were 88 deaths from 41,486 dengue cases last year.
Liow told reporters after launching Faber Medi-Serve Sdn Bhd’s coffee table book that he had instructed all hospitals and doctors to be on high alert following the rise in fatalities during the raining season.
“Dengue cases always peak during the raining season. The months of June, July and end of the year always record the highest number of dengue cases. This is the trend.
“Doctors should take more initiative and act faster when treating patients with dengue fever. Patients should not take the disease lightly and seek treatment at once,” he said, adding that 26% of those who died last year only sought treatment three days after coming down with high fever.
“Dengue patients have a chance of recovering if proper treatment is given on time. Do not drag on until it is too late,” he said.
Liow said the ministry would launch its Let’s Destroy Aedes Campaign in Kajang this Satur­day to get the public involved in combating dengue; such as carrying out gotong-royong activities to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds in villages, housing estates and towns.
He had also instructed enforcement officers to conduct checks at all construction sites to prevent Aedes mosquitoes from breeding.
He added that the ministry worked closely with local councils in combating the dengue problem.
Besides the health alert and the enforcement on construction sites, he said the ministry’s operations room would now be open on weekends as well.
Liow said the ministry also wanted the public to be aware that besides dengue, the rainy season could likely bring about cases of chikugunya and malaria, both of which were also mosquito-borne diseases.

His warning came on the back of an announcement by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) yesterday that La Nina had developed in tropical Pacific and was likely to strengthen in the coming months.
The weather phenomenon – the opposite of El Nino, which brings about drier conditions – can bring about strong rainfall in Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia as well as drought in South America.
The last time La Nina hit in 2008, icy conditions across Europe claimed dozens of lives.
“Following the rapid dissipation of El Nino in May this year, cool neutral to weak La Nina conditions have developed in the Pacific. These conditions are more likely than not to strengthen into a basin-wide La Nina over the coming months,” the WMO said on its website.
However, the United Nations weather agency said the “timing and magnitude of such an event this year are yet uncertain”.

Liow: Act fast on dengue

Star: GEORGE TOWN: Doctors should show more initiative and act faster when treating patients with dengue fever, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said no one should take the disease lightly.
“As of Tuesday, we have recorded 23,626 cases with 80 deaths compared to 24,817 cases with 62 deaths for the same period last year.
“Although we managed to bring down the number of cases slightly, the number of dengue fatalities has increased,” he told a press conference after visiting the newly-completed quarters for Penang Hospital at Jalan Utama here yesterday.
Liow said Selangor had the highest number of recorded dengue cases.
As for Penang, he said the state managed to bring down the number of cases to 579 this year compared to 1,562 for the same period last year.
He said there were four types of dengue and that the complications kept changing.
Liow urged Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to set up Communica­tion Behavourial Impact (Combi) volunteer groups to help curb the rise in dengue cases.
Earlier, Liow said the healthcare industry in Malaysia was expected to generate RM11bil for the national economy in 2020, 10% more than the initially projected RM10bil.
Liow revealed the new target yesterday after a working visit to Info Kinetics lab at Eureka Complex in Universiti Sains Malaysia.
He said the ministry had so far identified five sectors — clinical research centre, pharmaceutical, health tourism, production of medical appliances and training of specialists – to concentrate on in order to reach the target.
On another matter, he said Malaysia had identified a piece of land in Cyberjaya for China to set up a centre of excellence for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Malaysia to set up traditional Chinese medicine hub

Star: SHANGHAI: Malaysia plans to set up a centre of excellence for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the country in a joint venture with China.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the cooperation would be between Malaysian and Chinese institutions as part of Malaysia’s bid to raise its standard in TCM.
“That will move us ahead faster as we can provide training, treatment and research and development at the same place,” he said after visiting the Shanghai Shuguang TCM Hospital on Saturday.
He added that both countries planned to allow the resources at the centre to be shared by other Asean, Japanese and South Korean counterparts.
Liow said that during the World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva last month, Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu had preliminarily agreed to pursue the matter and that they would discuss it further when Chen visits Malaysia on July 15.
Currently, Malaysian students pursue TCM at five institutions in Malaysia that are affiliated with their Chinese counterparts.
Many Malaysians also opt to study at eight Malaysian Medical Council-certified Chinese universities for bachelor of medicine and surgery programmes in China.
Liow said there were about 10,000 TCM practitioners in Malaysia but the country needed to train more.
“We have sent full-fledged doctors to China to learn short and long-term TCM courses. We will send more in future. Those who return from the stint will help us set up proper TCM centres,” he added.
When the new Traditional Medi-cine Act is in place later this year, he said it would give the ministry more bite to monitor the quality of TCM practitioners and provide them with grants.
To address the safety issue of drug and health and cosmetic products imported from China, Liow said the ministry was also in talks with both the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration and State Admini­stration of Traditional Chinese Medicine to extend cooperation in regulatory control of the trade of drug products.
“We buy a lot of Chinese medicine from China. We will have a memorandum of understanding to ensure what we certify as safe in Malaysia can be exported to China, and what they certify as safe can be imported to Malaysia,” he said.

KK to get fourth govt hospital

Star: KOTA KINABALU: Construction of a government hospital, which will be the fourth for the state capital, will begin next year, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.
She said the hospital, which would have between 600 and 800 beds, would be constructed on a 20.2ha site at Bukit Padang, about 5km from the city.
“This will not be an upgrading or an extension of the Bukit Padang psychiatric hospital,” Rosnah said after attending the bersanding ceremony of Sabah Puteri Umno chief Musliati Moslimin and Mohd Nizam Nazib yesterday.
She said the new medical facility was among the eight general hospitals planned under the 10th Malaysia Plan that was unveiled last week by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The new hospital and the upgrading of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) would ensure sufficient medical facilities to meet the needs of the people here, she said.
Apart from the QEH, the other government hospitals are the Likas Women and Children’s Hospital and the Sabah Medical Centre in Luyang.

Health DG: Private hospital fees exorbitant; to be revised

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The government will revise the fees charged by private sector hospitals and clinics, Health Director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said.
“The exorbitant fees now charged by private hospitals has been brought to my attention many times and the current schedule drawn by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) was not as comprehensive as it should be.
“As such I have made it a point to call for a meeting soon with MMA to develop a comprehensive fee schedule that was acceptable to all,” he said in a special interview published in the latest issue of the MMA newsletter.
He reminded doctors that the main reason for them to choose the profession was not merely to make money and profits, although there was nothing wrong with it, but to help the sick.
“Therefore doctors have to give a level of care that would reduce the morbidity and mortality and provide comfort to the patients,” he added.
He said doctors were respected by society because they had earned it, however, it was not their right to demand respect as it was a privilege.

Touching on the medical curriculum, he said there was an urgent need to revamp the medical curriculum in local universities to make it more relevant to the country’s current health and medical sector.
He said at present, what was being offered has been deemed insufficient for young doctors to function effectively, and added that the view was derived from a number of interviews he had conducted with primary healthcare specialists and was not satisfied with the outcome.
A related area of concern, he added, was the aspect of technology substituting the human touch.
“Doctors do not examine patients the way they used to do and they substitute it with technology,” he said.
He reminded doctors that patients came to see them because they wanted to talk to them about their problems, but doctors were too busy doing other things, and were not listening.
Dr Ismail was also concerned with the mushrooming of medical schools which was beyond the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry.
“My advice to doctors and specialists in the face of this challenge is to train these young doctors,” he said.
Dr Ismail said the onus in terms of quality of young doctors was in the ability of a specialist, to train them.
“There have been many instances where housemen experienced mental anguish, depression, anxiety, stress and suicidal tendencies while undergoing training and this is no laughing matter.”
As such, he advocated a two-way assessment system where not only the specialist and doctors provide feedback, but the houseman would also be given an opportunity to provide feedback on their trainers.
On the criteria for promotion of public service doctors, Ismail said it was based on five main aspects, namely service, training, research, one’s standing in the eyes of peers and the 360 degree perception.
He explained that the 360 degree perception, meant a positive reaction and recognition from patients, students and peers which reflected upon the dedication, commitment and quality care of the doctor.

Miros: Make child restraint systems in vehicles a must

Star: PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) wants child restraint systems in vehicles to be made compulsory.
Miros director-general Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said there were no legal provisions currently to make it mandatory for adults ferrying children to use child restraint systems.
“One of the primary areas being looked into is the need for children to be kept safe in vehicles,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Research has shown that the safest place in a car for a child is the rear seat.
“Parents and adults in a vehicle must always ensure that children of all ages are properly secured when travelling, either in a dedicated child seat, infant seat or buckling up their seat belts,” Dr Farhan said.
He said road accident statistics revealed a high number of road fatalities involving children.
Children between one and 15 years old accounted for 410 fatalities in 2008, with 2,797 having suffered slight to serious injuries.
“Of the figure, 43% involved children travelling on motorcycles,” Dr Farhan added.
He said residential areas were also becoming increasingly dangerous in terms of road accidents involving children.
“In the same year, 75 children were killed, 192 seriously injured and 424 sustained slight injuries from road accidents that occurred within housing areas.”
Unrestrained children could be flung out of vehicles, thrown against the front windscreen or dashboard and result in serious injury or death, he said.
“A child in the front seat, on the lap of a parent, can be crushed between the parent and the dashboard in the event of a collision,” he added.

Medicinal researchers urged to come up with real studies instead

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians researchers must move away from doing “humdrum” research work on medicine and instead explore new frontiers, the Health Ministry said.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said Malaysia needed more researchers but quality work should matter more than quantity.
“Stop doing duplicative, humdrum research but move forward and do earth-shattering ones,” he said.
To do this, researchers should ask important research questions, be kept informed of the latest findings and collaborate with other researchers in the world, he added.
Dr Ismail said the ministry received RM90mil for research alone, under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, but it was still inadequate.
“We have proposed an ambitious and robust research agenda but financially, the Government is going through some challenges.
“So we’ll have to wait,” he said after the 13th NIH Scientific Meeting yesterday.
The ministry had applied for RM100mil to finance research work for the 10th Malaysia Plan, and it would focus on diseases such as dengue, tuberculosis, malaria and H1N1, he added.
Dr Ismail said two organisations — the TDR, which is a Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases ba­­sed at the World Health Organisation, and Drugs for Neg­lected Diseases Initiative — had expressed their intention to work with the ministry to carry out research on the diseases.

On another matter, Dr Ismail said the Cabinet had its reasons for the delay on the ban of 14-stick cigarette packs to Jan 1 next year.
On reports of some clinics running out of H1N1 vaccine, Dr Ismail said the clinics could ask the ministry for replenishment.
He also said the ministry would complete distributing the H1N1 vaccines first and would use the three-in-one vaccine if there was a need.
Deputy Health director-general Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said seven new influenza A (H1N1) cases occurred in six clusters cases in four states on Tuesday, making it a total of 14,850 cases nationwide.
Currently, 575 patients were warded for influenza-like illness and out of that, 56 were found to be positive with A (H1N1).
The number of deaths still remains the same at 87, he added.

1Care scheme for better healthcare

Star: MALACCA: The Health Minis-try is in talks with the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) to implement a 1Care scheme that will see government and private clinics working together to provide better healthcare for the people.
Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the scheme, once approved, would have an immediate impact on improving the country’s healthcare system while also addressing the scarce distribution of government clinics in Sabah and Sarawak.
At present, there are 800 government health clinics nationwide with 6,500 general practitioners.
“If we work together with the private clinics, we will be able to increase this number to more than 7,000 doctors nationwide,” Liow said at the MMA’s 50th annual general meeting on Friday night.
Liow said the ministry was in discussion with MMA to iron out details of the tie-up.
“I have briefed the Prime Minister on the proposal and he is very excited about it as it would help improve the healthcare service for the people,” he added.
Liow also said the Govern-ment was mulling over the possibility of imposing a moratorium on private medical colleges following MMA’s concerns about a possible glut in poorly train-ed doctors within the next decade.
“We have agreed to put a stop to it. A moratorium has to be set up to allow us to produce quality doctors,” he said.
He said there were currently 31,273 registered doctors nationwide with the Government focusing on achieving a ratio of 1:600 by 2015.
He was responding to the issue raised by MMA president Dr David Quek that the number of doctors in the country would swell to between 45,000 and 50,000 by 2015 and 75,000 and 80,000 by 2020.
In view of the glut, Quek said that MMA was concerned about the quality and standard of such doctors.
As of this month, there are 28 approved private institutions offering 37 medical courses that produce between 2,000 and 3,000 doctors annually exclu-ding the estimated 2,000 graduates returning from abroad.

Doc: It is preventing early treatment of cancer patients

Star: PETALING JAYA: Seventy per cent of the 50,000 newly-detected cancer patients in Malaysia each year need care from oncologists. However, there are only 60 such cancer specialists in the country qualified to treat them.
Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) senior lecturer and clinical oncologist Dr Daniel Wong Wai Yan said the waiting list in government hospitals was between a month and six weeks.
There are currently only 15 oncologists with Health Ministry hospitals where a majority of patients seek treatment.
Apart from the long queue, he said patients also had to travel far for treatment as many hospitals did not have oncology services.
“Some of the patients may be dead or too sick to see a doctor when they finally get their turn to see an oncologist,” said Dr Wong, who is also a member of the Clinical Oncology Speciality Committee for Universiti Malaya.
He added that the remaining 30% of patients diagnosed were either at the early stage of the disease and could be treated by specialists from related disciplines or those who were at the end-stage where the treatment was to reduce their suffering before they died.
Dr Wong, however, added that oncologists were now able to detect the exact location, stage of the cancer and assess its development.
“With the availability of more options of drugs and high-tech radiotherapy facilities nowadays, we need to spend more time to plan treatment with our patients,” Dr Wong said, adding that an oncologist treats about 300 patients a year.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin said patients could also seek treatment at teaching hospitals like UMMC and Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and private hospitals.
“Government hospitals without resident oncologists have visiting oncologists from nearby hospitals to help out,” she said, adding that some cancer patients were also treated by specialists from related disciplines.

New influenza drug is effective, assures doctor

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The new trivalent influenza drug in the market is effective against Influenza A (H1N1), the Malaysian Society of Infectious Disease and Chemotherapy (MSIDC) said.
Available since March, the drug can fight against H1N1, H3N1 and Influenza B strains. The fight against H1N1 is now included in the seasonal influenza vaccination.
“Those especially in the high-risk group are encouraged to get their vaccination,” MSIDC member Dr Christopher Lee said, adding that high risk individuals included those with underlying medical conditions as well as pregnant women, those above 65 years old and children above six months old.
At government hospitals and clinics, the vaccination for monovalent H1N1 virus strain was currently offered, he told a media conference on Annual Influenza Vaccination with New Southern Hemisphere Formulation yesterday.
Dr Lee said that based on past trends, the most common symptoms for Malaysians hit by influenza were cough, fever and sore throat and not many suffered from diarrhoea.
Asked to comment about the possibility that people might have a fever after getting the jab, Dr Lee said the vaccination was generally safe with mild side effects.
Prof Datin Dr Che Ilina Che Isahak of the Asia Pacific Advisory Committee on Influenza said the vaccine did not contain live virus. “Even if one gets a fever from the jab, it is usually mild.”
In PUTRAJAYA, health authorities were alerted of six Influenza-like Illness (ILI) cluster cases – four of them in schools – in Pahang, Malacca and Johor over the past 24 hours.
Of the cases, two were tested positive for H1N1 and were administered with anti-viral medication.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the cases were reported at SK Kemendor in Jasin, Malacca, involving six people, SM Sains Sultan Ahmad Shah in Kuantan, Pahang (nine students), SMK Tekek in Rompin, Pahang (five) and SK Cheng in Malacca (nine).
Four members of a family in Bandar Baru Uda, Johor Baru, and three members of another family in Kampung Maju Jaya, also in Johor Baru, showed symptoms of ILI.
Dr Ismail said as of Monday, 31 new cases of H1N1 were reported nationwide, adding that there were now 606 ILI patients being treated in hospitals.

Poor response to H1N1 jabs

Star: PETALING JAYA: The poor res-ponse to the free Influenza A(H1N1) vaccine jabs is likely due to the people’s worry about the possible side effects.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said that some people might come down with fever for several days after the vaccinations.
“This could be a reason why people are not coming for the jabs,” she said.
A total of 104 health clinics are offering vaccines against H1N1 throughout the country. However, the response has been poor although the jabs are given free.
Rosnah described the public response as slow, adding that Malaysians should remain cautious as H1N1 was still prevalent.
“It is better to have protection and get yourself vaccinated,’’ she said in an interview yesterday.
She encouraged the public to check the ministry’s website to find out which health clinics offered the vaccines.
It was reported that 175,747 people had been vaccinated although the ministry had ordered 400,000 doses.
Of those who had received the jabs, about 49,727 or 28.3%. were people in the high-risk category.
The rest who were vaccinated were the ministry’s frontliners (76,613 or 43.6%), frontline staff of other government agencies such as police and immigration officers (49,407 or 28.1%).
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican also called on people in the high-risk category to get vaccinated at the 104 health facilities.
These would include people with diabetes, hypertension, asthma, heart and lung diseases. Those who are obese, pregnant or intending to travel overseas should also be vaccinated.
“Although the number of people getting vaccinated has increased over the past one month, we want more to come forward,” he said.
Infectious diseases expert Dr Christopher Lee said private clinics also offerred seasonal flu vaccines covering three strains of flu including A(H1N1).
The cost is believed to range from RM60 to RM300.
As at 8am on Friday, the ministry has not received any new report on new cluster Influenza-like Illness (ILI).
So far, there are 35 confirmed A(H1N1) cases reported, which meant that total cases stood at 13,744.
The death toll remains at 81.

No more nursing schools from July

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The mushrooming of private nursing colleges will soon be a thing of the past. Applications to set up new institutions will not be accepted from July.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said a moratorium was necessary to prevent an oversupply of nurses and other problems arising from graduate unemployment.
“The move will also prohibit the launch of new diploma programmes in nursing as the ministry wants existing providers to concentrate more on degree courses.
“There will be no more private institutions providing nursing courses as we are already on the right track to achieve the recommended World Health Organi­sation nurse to population ratio of 1:200,” he said in a press conference at Hotel Istana yesterday.
“The moratorium will be in place as long as the supply of nurses meets market demand.”
Malaysia’s current nurse to population ratio is 1:490.
Speaking after launching Masterskill Education Group Sdn Bhd’s prospectus in conjunction with its proposed listing on the main market of Bursa Malaysia, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia had enough institutions to achieve the ideal ratio.
“There are 106 higher education institutions that train nurses in the country and we (the ministry) want them to concentrate on improving quality,” he said.
“Currently, most programmes in nursing and the allied health sciences are at diploma level and Malaysia requires more trainers and students at degree levels in these fields,” he added.
Of the 106 institutions, 66 are private providers, 11 are public institutions and the rest are run by the Health Ministry.
He added that established private higher education providers like Master­skill could contribute to Malay­sia’s aspiration of becoming the region’s education hub by recruiting more international students.

Docs not keen to return home

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Efforts to lure home several hundred Malaysian doctors working overseas have met with lukewarm success, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin.
The ministry had contacted the doctors but only a small number had responded to the call to return home.
“We will not lose heart. We have come up with several policies aimed at making the return offers more attractive.
“At the same time, we are working on ways to keep future doctors here,” Rosnah said at a press conference here yesterday.
She had earlier witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and Newcastle University of Medicine here for the utilisation of the Health Ministry’s facilities.
Rosnah said one way to keep future doctors here was to provide more places at local institutions of higher learning.
On the doctor-patient ratio, she said the figure last year stood at 1:905 compared to the 1:600 yardstick set by the United Nations.
She added that the ratio now was a vast improvement from the 1:1,400 in 2000.
However, Rosnah said it was not balanced as a majority of the doctors worked in big cities like Kuala Lumpur, where the ratio was 1:513; while other states such as Kelantan has a ratio of 1:2,003.
“It is even worse in Sabah where the ratio is 1:2,248, but we are working to balance it by posting new doctors to these areas.
“We have decided to implement a rotation system that requires doctors to serve there for a year,” she said.
“Unless there is a need to extend the posting, they can return after their term is up,” Rosnah added.

Compulsory service for doctors reduced to two years

Star: KUALA KUBU BARU: The compulsory government service period for doctors has been reduced from three to two years with immediate effect, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said this was in accordance with the increased internship training period from one year to two years.
"The move to shorten the compulsory service will encourage them to remain in the country and provide their expertise in Malaysia," he said, adding that it will indirectly discourage brain drain.
Liow was speaking at the launch of a healthy lifestyle campaign here Thursday.
He had announced earlier that Malaysian doctors working overseas for more than 10 years and who had funded their own medical studies would be exempted from compulsory service if they returned to the country.
Previously, he had also announced that doctors above 45 years, whether they had postgraduate degrees or otherwise, would be given total exemption.

Universiti Malaya launches RM10mil tropical diseases facility

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya’s new RM10mil Modular Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) Research Facility has been launched, enhancing Malaysia’s ability to combat tropical diseases like the Nipah virus and dengue.
Recognised as the most advanced facility in its class by the French government, the facility was installed by the university’s Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC) at the Faculty of Medicine.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that with the appropriate biosafety facilities to conduct research on disease samples, the centre is expected to cut local dependence on foreign research labs.
At the same time, collaborative links with local and foreign research institutions could be forged.
Previously, disease samples had to be sent to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, United States, for further study.
Mohamed Khaled said that the facility would enhance TIDREC’s role in the study and prevention of infectious tropical diseases.
“We hope that this lab will produce results through the development of vaccines and the commercialisation of research findings,” he said in a press conference.
“I also expect that this facility will also strengthen the country’s national bio-security defences, and help in our measures against biological weapons threats.”
It is learnt that TIDREC is collaborating with researchers from the Defence Ministry. The centre will also develop vaccines and diagnostics to minimise the impact of biological warfare.
The cost of setting up the facility was borne entirely by the ministry.
Also present at the event was French ambassador to Malaysia, Marc Baréty.
Under biocontainment classification, BSL1 labs focus on well-characterised agents not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adult humans while BSL2 facilities cater to pathogens that pose moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment like hepatitis, dengue fever and influenza A, among others.
BSL3 labs are applicable for indigenous or exotic agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease after inhalation like yellow fever and the SARS coronavirus.
Meanwhile, BSL4 facilities are required for work with agents which cause severe to fatal diseases in humans for which vaccines or other treatments are unavailable such as Lassa fever and the Ebola virus.
Mohamed Khaled added that the university’s search for the right person to head its Indian Studies Department was ongoing and a suitable candidate should be identified by June or July.

Malaysians getting obese - by eating too heavily at night

Star: PETALING JAYA: More Malaysians are keeping awake till late to indulge in what is becoming a top national pastime – tucking it in at 24-hour eating joints.
Yes, we are practically eating round-the-clock. If you are still not convinced, take a look at the goings-on at mamak shops close to and way past midnight.
These shops have sprouted up all over the country to satisfy the cravings of Malaysians who are gorging on calorie-packed late night meals with hardly a care – and getting obese in the process.
Statistics show that the prevalence of obesity among Malaysian adults increased by a staggering 250% over a 10-year period from 1996 while the number of overweight has increased by 70%.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006 showed that two out of every five adults or 43%, were either overweight or obese and an alarming situation where the number of obese adults had more than tripled over a decade, from 4% in 1996 to 14% in 2006.
Besides that, about 38% of youngsters aged between 12 and 18 were classified as overweight.
A recent survey involving 10,000 students showed that 24% of those aged between six and 12 were either overweight or obese.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai is obviously a very worried man, with more Malaysians at risk of being seriously ill due to uncontrollable eating.
“It has to change ... an unbalanced diet and eating late at night,’’ he cautioned. “In the past, we used to have two meals. These days, we are eating five to six times daily with late-night suppers at mamak stalls,’’ he said after launching the Malaysian Council for Obesity Prevention (MCOM) here yesterday.
MCOM, which comprises 13 professional bodies and NGOs, was set up to help the government counter the problem of obesity in the country.
The minister, an avowed vegetarian, spoke of another worrying trend – meat is fast becoming a staple-diet here. A diet rich in red meat causes high cholesterol which leads to cardio-vascular disease.
“Available data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity indicates that the problem we face may be more serious than those in other countries of the region,” he added.
Being overweight and obese, he said, would lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even cancer.
According to statistics, 14.9% and 43% of Malaysians aged above 30 suffer from diabetes and hypertension respectively, with 20.7% of adults over 18 suffering from high cholesterol.
Liow said 300 nutritionists would be employed to serve at government clinics nationwide to help tackle obesity problems by creating awareness on the dangers of unhealthy eating.
Malaysian Council for Obesity Prevention (MCOM) president Jong Koi Chong echoed the minister’s concerns, saying the unhealthy eating trend was becoming a major problem.
“Our metabolic rate is very low at night making it easy for fat to accumulate in the body.
"Most 24-hour restaurants serve food that is high in fat, calories and cholesterol. Sadly, more of our young are picking up bad eating habits from adults,’’ he added.

60 H1N1 cases in hospitals now

Star: PETALING JAYA: A total of 60 confirmed Influenza A(H1N1) cases are in hospitals, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said.
He said that as of 8am yesterday, there were 554 cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the country and the patients were currently being warded in hospitals.
“From that total, 55 cases have been confirmed as influenza A(H1N1) cases while five more cases are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Dr Ismail said that going by reports on cluster cases, influenza A(H1N1) was still active.
“The public must be vigilant and take preventive steps to control it,” he said.
He said six clusters had been reported in Malacca, Perlis, Terengganu and Kedah.
He said 16 students from Kolej Yayasan Saad in Ayer Keroh, Malacca and its college staff; 11 trainees from Lagenda National Service Camp in Asahan, Jasin, Malacca; and six trainees from the Tassoh NS camp in Perlis have received outpatient treatment.
“Laboratory test results for the clusters had not been received,” he said.
He added that 15 students from Sekolah Pondok Darul Iman in Kuala Berang, Terengganu; 35 students from SMK Kelibang in Langkawi and 84 students SMK Kedawang in Langkawi received outpatient treatment.
Laboratory test results showed that they do not have ILI symptoms, he said.
Dr Ismail said the public could obtain further information by visiting the Health ministry’s website h1n1.moh.gov.my or call the hotline at 03-888 10200/300 from 8am to 8pm.

Part-time jobs in govt hospitals

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is calling on private doctors around the country to take up 144 part-time vacancies in government clinics nationwide.
These vacancies are being offered to doctors in the private practice to serve on a locum basis.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who extended the invitation yesterday, said the ministry had received only 18 applications in March.
“We hope more doctors will help fill this shortage,” he said during a working visit to Hospital Ampang.
Liow announced that the doctors would be paid RM80 an hour.
Sessional shift in the clinics are from 8am to 5pm on weekdays while locum consultation is from 5pm to 9.30pm on weekdays and 8am to noon on Saturdays.
Liow said the ministry had allocated RM31mil for this initiative.
He also said the ministry had been opening its doors to doctors from the private sector to serve in government clinics and hospitals since 2002. According to Liow, there were about 10,000 doctors in private practice in the country.
Another 15,000 are in government service. The offer is also open to specialists to serve in government hospitals.
“They will be paid RM100 an hour for consultation and RM120 an hour if they need to perform surgery,” Liow said.
“Currently, there are only 20 specialists providing their services on a sessional basis,” he added.
Doctors interested in applying must be registered with the Malaysian Medical Council and can register online at http://www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/formDetails.jsp?action=load&id=55

95% of govt dispensaries serve patients within 30 minutes

Star: PETALING JAYA: Almost 95.4% of the 39.4 million prescriptions for outpatients at government hospitals and clinics last year were dispensed in less than 30 minutes, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said yesterday.
He said 93% of government hospitals and clinics achieved the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) set by the Health Ministry to ensure that waiting times at pharmacies be under 30 minutes.
Dr Ismail also said that pharmacy services were now more patient-oriented to ensure medicines dispensed were safe, of quality and effective.
This, he said, was done through special services like clinical pharmacokinetics, nutritional support, oncology pharmacy and nuclear pharmacy.
“Medicine prescribed through these special services are based on individual needs which could improve the quality of treatment and reduce any side-effect,” he said in a statement.
Dr Ismail also said that 74 main hospitals, 62 specialist hospitals, 14 district hospitals and 37 health clinics nationwide had implemented the Medication Therapy Adherence Clinic programme.
The programme allows for optimum compliance on medication dispensing to avert complications in patients.
The pharmacy services had also implemented new methods for drug dispensing such as the Integrated Drug Dispensing System, drive-through pharmacy, SMS alerts and appointment cards to make it easier for patients to get their medicine supply.
He said 87 hospitals and 38 clinics were now offering these services to their patients.
Dr Ismail said the SMS alert service had received good response from patients, whereby they were only required to send a text message to a government pharmacy before picking up their medication.
Last year, the Integrated Drug Dispensing System handled 115,086 prescriptions.
“The system enables patients to obtain their medicines from any hospital or clinic of their choice,” he said.

All hospitals must report medication errors, says D-G

Star: PETALING JAYA: To ensure that patients are exposed to minimal risk when seeking medical treatment, all health organisations are now required to report medication errors and hospital-acquired infections, to allow remedial programmes to be instituted.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the ministry remained dissatisfied with the reporting system practised by certain private health organisations.
“Some already have the mechanism while others do it for their internal consumption.
“We are very concerned about patient safety but things do not seem to be moving in the private sector,” he said yesterday.
A total of 2,572 medication errors were received by the Malaysian Medication Error Reporting System which started last year.
The Patient Safety Council, which seeks to enhance the safety of the healthcare system, recently drew up more measures to be implemented from this year.
He added that several of these measures would eventually be included in the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act.
Dr Ismail, who chairs the council, added all hospitals in the country must implement the safe surgery programme, which is being practised in major state hospitals.
“The director-general and his top management team will initiate a programme for regular, random inspection of healthcare facilities in government hospitals, including university hospitals as well as the private sector to identify opportunities for improvement,” he added.
He said that in order to protect healthcare workers, all stakeholders were encouraged to plan for the implementation of “needle-less sytems” in their clinical operations.
Such systems, he said have been shown to reduce the risk of communicable diseases being transmitted, besides reducing the cost of having to treat infected healthcare workers and patients.

9,698 health officers promoted under career advancement plan

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 9,698 health officers were promoted from Grade 44 up to Grade 54 following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement on Tuesday on a comprehensive career advancement plan for the three services under the Health Ministry.
Chief secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said they comprised 8,521 clinical/administrative medical officers, 650 dentists and 527 pharmacists.
For a start, 2,554 doctors on Grade UD44 were promoted to Grade UD48 right up to Grade UD54 effective Tuesday, he said in a statement on Friday.
For specialist doctors, 12 were promoted from Grade UD44 to UD48, 68 to UD52, and 321 to UD54. Of the non-specialist doctors on Grade UD44, 1,751 will be promoted to UD48, 312 to UD52 and 90 to UD54.
“The promotion of all Grade UD44 medical officers to the grade that they are eligible for will be implemented before March 31, 2010,” he said.
Sidek said that under this new career path, the promotion of medical, dental and pharmaceutical officers up to Grade 54 in the ministry would be based on the length of service and no longer on vacancies.
“The promotion of medical officers on Grade UD48 and UD52 as well as that of all eligible dental and pharmaceutical officers will be implemented in stages based on this career advancement plan,” he aded.
He said the medical officers concerned could check the plan via the ministry’s website at www.moh.gov.my
He said the government’s decision was in recognition of the contributions of the medical officers in raising the country’s health service level and to motivate them to continue providing quality service as well as to maintain their interest to serve longer in the public sector.
Najib, when announcing the plan, said it was aimed at providing opportunities for more attractive career advancement in a shorter period.
For example, he had said, a medical specialist could rise to Grade UD54 in nine years compared with 11 years now while for a clinical/administrative medical officer, it would take 12 years instead of 17.

Career Advancement Plan Will Help Retain Doctors In Public Sector

Bernama: KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), the country's premier organisation representing doctors, believes that the newly-announced comprehensive career advancement plan for doctors, dentists and pharmacists will help retain the doctors in the public sector.
Its president, Dr David Quek said this was also a vital move to maintain the number of doctors in the public sector, which currently was declining.
"It would certainly encourage more doctors working in the government hospitals and clinics to remain in the service rather than consider venturing out into private practice," he said in a statement here, on Wednesday.
The comprehensive career advancement plan was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday.
The initiative, which involved an additional annual expenditure of RM200 million, was aimed at improving career advancement by giving them the opportunity to move up to Grade 54 within two to five years.
Dr Quek said MMA had been working closely with the government to improve the service, training opportunity, salary, allowance and other perks and benefits for the doctors in the public sector.
"Over the past many years, we have, through our Schomos (Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists), liaised closely with the Health Ministry and the Public Service Department to improve the conditions of service.
"We are therefore very delighted that most of our requests have now been answered, and that so many doctors would now benefit from such upgrading service," he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) president Dr Lee Soon Boon also agreed that the plan would stop the exodus of dentists from the public to the private sector.
Besides, he said, the initiative was also deemed appropriate due to the current situation where most doctors were also entrusted with heavier responsibilities.
At present, he said there were 3,606 dentists in the country, 53 per cent of whom were in the government service, while the rest were in the private sector.
Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society president Datuk Nancy Ho, on the other hand, said that the initiative clearly showed that the prime minister was serious in promoting the 1Malaysia concept.
"We appreciate the recognition from the government to pharmacists for doing a professional job. This also shows that they are concerned about the people and the professionals," she explained.
She also believed that the initiative would encourage pharmacists nationwide to discharge their duties to the best of their ability.
Meanwhile, Cuepacs president, Omar Osman said Cuepacs lauded the career advancement plan for the medical and education sector, but believed that the government should consider similar initiative for other sectors too, especially for workers of lower grade and those in the rural areas.
"Attention should also be given to those working in the rural areas because they are closer to the people," he said.

Faster Promotion For Doctors, Dentists And Pharmacists To Grade 54

Bernama: KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Tuesday announced a comprehensive career advancement plan for public doctors, dentists and pharmacists, which expedites their promotion to Grade 54 by between two and five years.
He said the initiative, which involved an additional annual expenditure of RM200 million, was aimed at improving career advancement by giving them the opportunity to move up to Grade 54 within a more reasonable time frame.
For example, a medical specialist can progress to Grade 54 in nine years compared to 11 years now, and a (clinical/administrative) medical officer can move up in 12 years compared to 17 years now.
"Following this improvement in the career advancement plan, the government hopes that doctors, dentists and pharmacists in the Health Ministry will continue to provide excellent service to the people," he said in a statement.
Najib also said that the Public Service Department (PSD) and the Health Ministry were working out the promotion of eligible Grade UD44 medical officers to Grade UD48, and the majority of them were expected to be enjoy the benefit before the end of this month.
Najib said the improvement was in recognition of the role and contribution of those providing healthcare to the people, and it was felt that this would enhance their commitment and determination to fulfill the desire to raise the level of service at government hospitals.
Elaborating, the prime minister said that on Dec 5, 2007, the government agreed to promote directly to Grade UD44 all medical officers appointed from Jan 1, 2008 onwards, soon after completing their two-year housemanship and having registered with the Malaysian Medical Council.
To ensure that medical officers appointed prior to Jan 1, 2008 were unaffected by the decision, it was decided to promote these officers to Grade UD44, he said, adding that this involved promoting 9,871 medical officers in 2009.

The career advancement plan is as follows:
* Promotion to Grade 44 for dentists who have been on Grade 41 for two years, and for pharmacists after three years.
* Promotion to Grade 48 for doctors and dentists who have been on Grade 44 for three years or up to the date of gazetting as specialists, whichever is earlier; and for pharmacists who have been on Grade 44 for four years.
* Promotion to Grade 52 for (clinical/administrative) doctors and dentists who have been on Grade 48 for four years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier; also for medical specialists and dental specialists who have been on Grade 48 for two years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier, and subject to recommendation of the Specialists Evaluation Panel of the Health Ministry, and pharmacists who have been on Grade 48 for four years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier.
* Promotion to Grade 54 for (clinical/administrative) doctors and dentists who have been on Grade 52 for three years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier.

For medical specialists and dental specialists who have been on Grade 52 for two years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier, and subject to the recommendation of the Specialists Evaluation Panel.
For pharmacists who have been on Grade 52 for three years or subject to availability of vacant positions, whichever is earlier.
For medical specialists and dental specialists, the promotion from Grade 54 to Special Grade C and higher is subject to the recommendation of the ministry's Specialists Evaluation Panel.
For medical officers (clinical/administrative), dental officers (clinical/administrative) and pharmacists, the promotion from Grade 54 to Special Grade C and higher is subjection to availability of vacant positions.
Najib said that based on the career advancement plan, the maximum period for doctors, dentists and pharmacists eligible to be promoted up to Grade 54 had been shortened.

The average period for promotion to Grade 54 is as follows:
* Medical officers (Specialist) - nine years (now 11 years)
* Dental officers (Specialist) - nine years (now 11 years)
* Medical officers (Clinical/Administrative) - 12 years (now 17 years)
* Dental officers (Clinical/Administrative) - 12 years (now 17 years)
* Pharmacists - 14 years (now 17 years)

A bitter pill for GPs from MMA

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: General practitioners should re-engineer themselves in light of stiff competition from government and private hospitals and rapid medical science development, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said.
Its president Dr David Quek, in his column in the latest MMA bulletin, said the role of general practitioners was increasingly depreciated and marginalised and they were “a marked and endangered species teetering on the brink of extinction.”
Doctors, he said, should realise that times and medical practice had changed and they should look within themselves to re-engineer their modus operandi.
“General practitioners have to emerge from their cocooned complacency that simply serving quietly and earnestly behind long hours of general practice would suffice. It will not,” he added.
Dr Quek said the MMA would assist general practitioners by organising a summit where all issues and their future challenges could be debated to prepare a comprehensive policy.
He said he hoped doctors in the public sector would also come forward to provide input for the betterment of the profession.
In the same bulletin, MMA member Dr H. Krishna Kumar said 4,000 new doctors were joining the profession every year and this posed great competition to private practitioners.
Another source of competition was the improvement of services provided by government hospitals, where there were now more locums to man the accident and emergency departments, thus reducing waiting time, he said.

Doctors wanted at 162 health clinics

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry invites application from private doctors who are registered with the Malaysian Medical Council and fulfil the service requirement to serve at the 162 government health clinics nationwide.
Its director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said they could work at the clinics on “sessional” or “locum” basis and be paid RM80 per hour.
The working hours is from 8am to 5pm on normal working days (sessional), while the extended time is from 5pm to 9.30pm on Monday to Friday and 8am to noon on Saturday (locum), he said in a statement.
Those keen to apply can obtain further information and the application form by surfing the ministry’s website www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/categoryView.jsp