Keep smiling, MMA tells docs

PETALING JAYA: Doctors who seem unfriendly may be bogged down by heavy workload, said Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr N. Arumugam who maintains that doctors in general are friendly to patients.
But Dr Arumugam agreed that unfriendly doctors would give the profession a bad image.
“It is always good to have smiling doctors because people go to them with problems,” he said yesterday.
He said doctors who were stressed out might forget to smile, “and they need a gentle reminder about this because everybody in the healthcare system needs to be more proactive,” when commenting on Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican’s remark last week that a friendly disposition and the doctor’s white coat would contribute to a positive image for the medical profession.
Dr Arumugam said the MMA encouraged doctors to wear their white coats and name tags during office hours.
The white coat, he said, lent a positive image that reinforced a patient’s confidence in the doctor, whereas the name tag was essential for identification.
Dr Arumugam hoped that the new director-general would address issues that affected doctors, such as working conditions, promotions and allowances.
“The doctors are upset because nurses and policemen received benefits, but there has been no increase in overtime allowance for doctors for many years,” he said.
Ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Kuljit Singh said wearing the white coat had always been protocol for doctors.
However, the dress code was usually not observed by doctors who worked in hospitals without air-conditioning, as it could get hot and uncomfortable, he said.

Lifting the lid on hospital infections

Every year, Malaysians are dying from hospital infections, including the superbug MRSA. But just how many, no one knows.
The Health Ministry will soon begin a study to determine how many people in hospital for treatment die of infections contracted there.
Between 0.5 and 0.6 per cent of patients here come down with hospital infections every year.
In Britain, about 5,000 patients a year die from "methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus" or MRSA.
Dr Kalsom Mas Kon, a deputy director with the ministry, said hospitals submitted monthly data on MRSA but there were no details on the number of people who died of the infection. Many patients who contracted infections in hospital died of septicaemia or pneumonia.
Statistics in 2002 show that septicaemia is the highest cause of death in hospitals nationwide, followed by heart disease and cancer. Of the 35,904 patients who died of medical causes in 2002, some 15 per cent died of septicaemia and another five per cent pneumonia.
Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia microbiologist and infection control consultant Associate Professor Dr Nordiah Awang Jalil said at least 200 of the 80,000 patients admitted to hospitals nationwide every month were infected with MRSA.
An estimated 20 to 40 per cent of people carry Staphylococcus aureus, mostly in the nose or on the skin. It is relatively harmless, although it can cause boils or other minor infections.
What was of real concern, she said, was that some strains were now resistant to penicillin. This is because the bacterium has "learnt" to make an enzyme called beta- lactamase, which degrades penicillin and destroys its anti-bacterial activity.
"There is a need to create awareness on the importance of reducing the number of MRSA cases in hospitals because MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics."
She said those at risk of MRSA included patients warded for more than a week and those admitted to the intensive care unit.
To prevent the spread of MRSA, Dr Nordiah said hospital staff should wear gloves and disposable gowns prior to physical contact with MRSA patients. Before leaving the room, they should discard these safely, and wash their hands using anti-bacterial soap and disposable towels.

Vacancies due to hiring system

PETALING JAYA: The acute labour shortage in the health sector is due to the way hiring is done and the unattractive wages, according to Universiti Sains Malaysia’s School of Health Sciences based in Kubang Kerian.
The Health Ministry’s latest statistics show that there are over 40,000 vacancies in the sector.
The dean of the school, Prof Zainul F. Zainuddin, said even the USM Kelantan campus was affected by the shortage.
He cited the case of biomedicine degree holders whom he said were in high demand but could not land jobs in diagnostic laboratories.
“They are needed in the laboratory but the reason they are not working in the civil service is due to the way hiring is structured.
“It is such that the Government can only hire diploma holders as lab technicians,” he said.
Prof Zainul said if degree holders applied for a lab job, they would be hired as science officers or lab managers.
“only two or three science officers are needed in one lab, against 20 to 30 lab technicians.
“If the hiring structure can be changed to hire degree holders as technicians, it would help ease the shortage and also provide jobs for graduates,” he said.
About half of the 40,000 vacancies were for nurses, and Prof Zainul attributed this to better salaries being offered by other countries.
In the Middle East, he said, a nurse could earn up to RM10,000 a month.
“Our nurses are very popular because they are well trained and speak English.
He welcomed Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek’s recent announcement of a new salary scheme for nurses, adding that this was a good example of “what should be done for all other positions in the health industry.”
Commenting on a recent report on the results of a poll conducted on jobless graduates by The Star, Prof Zainul said all five courses in Health Sciences offered by USM were recognised by the Public Services Department adding that the courses were capable of producing highly competent health professionals.
It had been reported that a graduate in Health Sciences from USM was told that her degree was not recognised by the JPA.
Prof Zainul also called on graduates to think of “creating jobs” instead of just looking for one.
“By becoming an entrepreneur, they can earn and also keep the economy growing by being job providers,” he added.

Najib: New healthcare system inevitable

KUANTAN, Sat. - The introduction of the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme is inevitable due to the rising cost of health care, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.
"The construction of more hospitals, including specialist centres and those offering rural healthcare services, means that our healthcare spending is increasing," Najib said after opening a carnival to mark the 40th anniversary of Sekolah Menengah Abdul Rahman Taib here.
"Then, there is the need to stock up on medicine, some of which have to be imported.
"One day in the near future, we will have to have a healthcare financing system which will lessen the Government's burden."
Health director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican was quoted as saying today that the National Health Insurance Scheme was expected to be implemented by the end of next year.
Najib, however, said the introduction of the scheme would not burden the poor and members of the civil service, who currently enjoy healthcare subsidies from the Government.
He said the Government would explain to the people the rationale behind the introduction of the scheme and its merits.
"Don't just think about the cost of the scheme. We have to also think about what it can contribute to the improvement of the country's healthcare system."
Even wealthy countries such as the US and Britain, Najib said, could not afford to provide their people with indefinite free medical care.
"In fact, their healthcare schemes are plagued with problems, with some patients having to wait a long time for operations despite being in critical condition.
"Despite that, I can assure you that the scheme will place priority on quality service for all."

Needed - 400 rheumatologists

The Health Ministry is aware of this grave shortage of rheumatologists.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said to achieve a ratio of one rheumatologist to 85,000 population, a target for developing countries, Malaysia needed at least 400 of them by 2020.
"This means that we will have to beef up our speciality and sub-speciality training and recruitment program- mes," he said.
Of the 19 rheumatologists, seven are in government hospitals - four in Selayang and one each in Putrajaya, Taiping and Seremban.
Generally, Dr Chua said, rheumatologists undergo a minimum of three years' training after acquiring their post-graduate qualification in Internal Medicine.
Currently, he added, there were six rheumatology training centres - Selayang, Putrajaya, Seremban, Taiping, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Centre.
There are eight doctors now undergoing training in rheumatology.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Society of Rheumatology has set up an accreditation board to determine the training requirements, and the training guidelines have been posted on its website at www.msr.org.my.
Dr Chow, who sits on the accreditation board, said: "Rheumatology is a relatively new field. We had our first rheumatologist in the 80s."
Asked why many doctors did not specialise in the field, she said it was not considered lucrative. However, the number of patients seeking treatment for rheumatic diseases and musculoskeletal conditions in both public and private hospitals was "high".
Unlike diseases that kill, she said, rheumatic diseases did not attract much attention, but they could severely debilitate people and place a tremendous burden on healthcare systems.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects five in 1,000 Malaysians. Worldwide, 40 per cent of people over the age of 70 suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee. Eighty per cent of those with osteoarthritis have some degree of limitation of movement, and 25 per cent cannot function normally.
"Many people do not know that musculoskeletal or rheumatic diseases are a major cause of morbidity throughout the world, having a substantial influence on health and quality of life and inflicting an enormous burden of cost on health systems," said Dr Chow, a consultant rheumatologist, who is also the president of the Arthritis Foundation of Malaysia.
To assist doctors in the management of arthritis, Dr Chua said his ministry had distributed the Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Osteoarthritis in 2002 with support from the Academy of Medicine and the Malaysian Society of Rheumatology.
"There is a public misconception that arthritis is a single disorder affecting only the elderly and that not much can be done about it. This is far from the truth," said Dr Chua, adding that there were actually a large number of different conditions and syndromes that could come under this label with the common denomination being pain and inflammation of the joints.
He said the most common arthritis was osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition whose hallmarks were joint pains and limited movement resulting from progressive loss of cartilage, especially among older people, those with previous joint injuries and the obese.
Osteoarthritis of the knee affects five to 10 per cent of the adult population, 30 per cent of them over the age of 65.
"About three times as many women as men have the disease and about half of the patients suffer from work-related disability, resulting in total cessation of employment 10 years down the line from the onset," Dr Chua said.
Dr Chua said life expectancy may be reduced by three to 10 years. He also pointed out that arthritis did not spare children as there was Chronic Juvenile Arthritis that afflicts them.
He said arthritis also occurs in connective tissue disease that usually affected young women in the reproductive age group and may damage any organ in the body.

Tighter laws to stop salons from doing plastic surgery

PENANG: The Government is tightening the laws to prevent plastic and cosmetic surgery from being done at beauty salons and other unauthorised premises, including residential houses.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the Government was aware that they were many beauty salons conducting cosmetic and plastic surgery.
“Then, there is the matter of medical credentials. We do not know whether they are trained and licensed plastic and cosmetic surgeons,” he said at the Malaysian Association of Plastic, Aesthetic & Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons annual scientific and general meetings at the Penang Hospital here yesterday.
Dr Mohd Ismail advised the public to be cautious of beauty salons advertising cosmetic and plastic surgery services.
“Go to a hospital or a clinic to get professional consultation first,” he said.
The association’s president Dr R. Angamuthu said the insurance premium for cosmetic surgery had reached the RM20,000 mark and was an indication of the poor state of affairs as far as control was concerned for such surgeries.

Malaysian adults have seven times more tooth decay

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian adults have seven times more tooth decay than adolescents, Health Ministry surveys show.
And according to dentists, this is because adults do not go for regular check-ups, unlike the younger generation.
The ministry's surveys, conducted every decade to monitor the oral health trend, show that a 12-year-old has an average of 1.6 teeth affected by dental caries (tooth decay) compared with an average of 11.3 teeth for adults.
Oral Health Division director Datuk Dr Wan Mohamad Nasir Wan Othman said the surveys showed a tremendous reduction in dental caries during the past decade but this was mainly among the younger generation.
He said surveys showed that people now had better dental health.
In the first survey of schoolchildren in 1971, 12-year-olds were found to have dental caries in an average of 3.8 teeth while in the 1997 survey it was an average of 1.6 teeth,” he said.
He was speaking at the launch of the Colgate-Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) Oral Health Month programme themed Healthy Smiles for Life at One Utama Shopping Complex here yesterday.
The complex is one of three venues for the programme's one-stop dental and educational clinics, which will go on until tomorrow.
The clinics then move to Plaza Angsana in Tampoi (April 8-10) and Sunshine Square in Penang (April 22-24).
For more details visit www.mda.org.my or call 1-800-883-918.

Russia Ready To Share Space Medical Technology With M'sia

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Russia has expressed the desire to share its space medical technology with Malaysia, which plans to send its first astronaut into space in 2007.
Scientist Vladimir Pochuev of the Gagarin Russian State Research and Test Centre for Cosmonaut Training said his country was ready to help Malaysia in advanced space medicine.
"We can share our experience in space medicine not only with Malaysian astronauts but with any other Malaysians who are interested in this high-end space medicine," he told reporters after delivering a lecture on the "Human Space Flight Programme of the Russian Federation" at the National Planetarium here Thursday night.
Pochuev, who is on a three-day visit with two other Russian scientists, is in Malaysia to give inputs to the National Space Agency on the selection of candidates for Malaysia's ambitious space programme.
He also said that the space programme should not be viewed as merely an entertainment project but a serious development in high-end technology which would bring vast benefits to the country.
Space technology could benefit in areas such as biotechnology, monitoring of natural and man-made disasters, medicine, telecommunications and the exploration of earth's natural resources, he added.

TH Group invests RM40m in NCI expansion

Sabah- based TH Group Bhd has invested RM40mil in the expansion of the NCI Cancer Hospital (NCI), group general manager Angie Ang said.
She said the investment was for both the expansion of the hospital building and equipment.
“Our capacity at the moment is probably about 500 to 700 patients per year. With the expansion, we hope to increase it to several thousand,” she told reporters after the signing of a collaboration understanding between Asiaprise Biotech Sdn Bhd and Health Scan Malaysia Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Asiaprise Biotech, a subsidiary of TH Group, is involved in pharmaceutical trading/distribution, and investment in biotech/healthcare-related activities. The expansion of NCI is expected to be completed in September.
Asiaprise Biotech executive chairman Dr Kim Tze Tan said that through the collaboration agreement, the two parties would work together to provide optimum medical care to patients from both centres, particularly in the disciplines of oncology and cardiology.
He said NCI would provide follow-up care for Health Scan Malaysia's patients who required further diagnosis or treatment in respect of cancer.
“NCI will leverage on Health Scan Malaysia's expertise in the area of cardiology to provide follow-up care for its patients who may be diagnosed with cardiac complications,” he said.
NCI is Malaysia's first private cancer centre that offers cancer treatment and clinical research, while Health Scan Malaysia was conceived as a premier medical centre to offer comprehensive health screening using the most advanced technology. – Bernama

Malaysia postpones ban on small packs of cigarettes?

Malaysia's government has postponed by one year a proposed ban on the sale of small packs of cigarettes, a senior government official said Wednesday, provoking an outcry from anti-smoking groups.
The ban on packs of less than 20 cigarettes was supposed to come into effect on July 1, 2005, but the government has decided to hold off until July 1, 2006, said Ramlee Rahmat, director of disease control at the Health Ministry.
Some cigarette manufacturers made an appeal to postpone the ban, and "the (health) minister has taken this into consideration," Ramlee told Dow Jones Newswires.
The rationale for the proposed ban is that small packs make cigarettes affordable for teenagers, the most vulnerable group among new smokers.
S.M. Mohamad Idris, president of the Consumers Association of Penang, which had lobbied for the ban, said he was shocked by the decision.
It appears the government is "putting the interest of companies above health," he said. "What is the point of all your anti-smoking campaigns if the tobacco companies are allowed to get away with this?"
But other anti-tobacco measures are expected to go ahead as part of Malaysia's efforts to restrict smoking. Among the steps are a ban on point-of-sale advertisements at stores beginning June 1. Also, tobacco companies will not be allowed to sponsor events such as Formula One racing this year.
Sponsorship of soccer matches and other sports is already illegal.
About 3.6 million of Malaysia's 25 million people are smokers, and nearly half of adult men light up regularly, according to Health Ministry statistics. About 10,000 people die every year from smoking-related ailments.
The government raised taxes on cigarettes by 40 percent in its 2005 budget. The government also has launched a US$26 million (�20 million) anti-smoking campaign.
Shares of cigarette makers British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd., the industry leader in sales, and JT International Bhd. have suffered in the past few months due to steep tax and price hikes.
As a result, cigarette sales fell 3 percent in 2004 to 19.4 billion cigarettes, industry data show.

Better health care services: New D-G

Kuala Lumpur: The public can expect better and improved health services in the country over the next few years as major efforts have been taken to enhance them.
Not only that, there would also be more locally-produced medicines with more efforts to commercialise natural products as health supplements.
This is the vision set by the newly-appointed Director-General of Health, Datuk Dr Ismail Merican, who assumed office on March 5. He was, prior to his promotion, the Deputy Director-General of Health (Research and Technical Support).
"I want to concentrate on the healthcare services and enhance the delivery system. I also want to rebrand the Health Ministry's existing services, so that they can contribute to the national economy," he said when contacted Monday.
Dr Ismail, better known as "Dr Sars" among the media circle, said the nation was now facing a growing threat from diseases and increasing health care cost.
In view of this, he said there was a greater need for the healthcare provider in the country to improve the healthcare delivery system.
As such, the department must inculcate a more humanitarian corporate culture, teamwork spirit, a more caring society and professionalism among the existing medical staff, he said.
"For this purpose, we are going to benchmark ourselves to the world standard," he said, adding that public had expected better healthcare services from the Government for some time.
"We want the doctors and other medical staff to listen to what the patients have to say and to be more humane. We want the staff to take this as an opportunity to do better," he said.
The Penang-born Dr Ismail has been dubbed "Dr Sars" because of his frequent appearances in the print and electronic media two years ago to give updates on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases when there was an outbreak of the disease in Malaysia.
The appointment of Dr Ismail, a former Penang Free School student, to succeed Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Taha Arif, who retired on March 4, was announced by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek on Monday.
Dr Ismail is an expert on hepatology and had served at the district and state levels before being assigned to the Ministry.- Bernama

System to detect blindness early

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is drawing up a system to help medical practitioners and nurses detect complications in the early stages of diabetes and hypertension.
This is because medical practitioners do not have a satisfactory control and monitoring system, causing patients to suffer complications like blindness, said Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“We have observed that although the patients are receiving treatment, whether at private or government hospitals, they are referred to the ophthalmologist only at the end stages.
“And at this stage, the treatment is more complicated and not very effective,” he told reporters yesterday after opening the 20th Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress.
Diabetics can suffer from diabetic retinopathy, which can cause decreased vision and blindness.
Dr Chua also said that the practitioners would simply “repeat” medication when the patient goes for follow-up sessions.
“We are in the early stages of discussions on how to make sure complications such as visual impairment or blindness can be controlled,” he said.

200 ‘unrecognised’ docs get chance to enter govt service

KUALA SELANGOR: The 200 medical graduates from non-government accredited universities abroad have been given a chance to practise medicine in the country.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said they would be absorbed into the medical fraternity after undergoing a six-month attachment and passing an examination prepared by the ministry.
The Cabinet approved the recommendation by the ministry to allow the 200 graduates to be attached with government hospitals, he said.
They would be paid a monthly allowance of RM500 during the six-month stint, Dr Chua said during a visit to the Tanjung Karang Hospital near here yesterday.
He said a committee made up of experts from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia would co-ordinate the examination.
“If they pass the exam, the graduates would be offered a housemanship,” said Dr Chua.
He added that they would be allowed to take the examination a second time if they failed.
With regard to a recent report that 30 medical graduates from universities not recognised by the Government were taking the Malaysian Medical Council to court, he said that those who initiated a legal case against the Government would not be given this alternative.
Dr Chua advised students wanting to pursue a medical degree not to enrol with universities that were not recognised by the council.
“We feel it’s a waste of money to pursue a medical degree at non-recognised universities as they would end up jobless. Check with us. We have 300 universities in our list which are recognised,” he said.

Mobile clinic to provide treatment for rural folk

KUALA LUMPUR: Medical advice and treatment will be made available to disabled people in rural areas through the Semai Bakti Pusat Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti (PDK) programme.
Bakti (Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers) yesterday received a van which would be converted into a mobile clinic to service the rural areas.
DRB-HICOM group chairman Tan Sri Saleh Sulong handed over the van to Bakti president Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood.
The programme, conducted by Bakti and Gabungan Wawasan Generasi Felda, hopes to train, guide and aid the disabled, especially those in rural areas.

New Salary Scheme For Nurses With Higher Qualifications Approved

LANGKAWI, March 27 (Bernama) -- The government has approved a new pay scheme for nurses in government hospitals who have taken further courses or have degrees.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, who announced this Sunday, said he hoped the new scheme would motivate nurses to upgrade their knowledge and seek higher qualifications.
The date of implementation had not been decided, he said during a visit to Langkawi Hospital.
At present, nurses who wish to specialise are required to take further courses after which they will receive the same salary as ordinary nurses despite shouldering more duties.
Nurses who are degree holders are also paid the same as those who pass out from the basic nursing course.
On another matter, Dr Chua said the ministry would reveal the findings of a survey on waiting time for patients at government hospitals next month.
He said the ministry was sorting out the data from the survey which would include information on the hospitals with the longest and shortest waiting time for patients.

Malaysian Medical Students Find Australia Exciting

MELBOURNE, March 26 (Bernama) -- Fifty-two medical students from Monash University's Malaysia campus have arrived in Australia to begin their studies.
The students, from Malaysia and Singapore, will be the first group to graduate from Malaysia with the newly created Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery degree.
Dean of Medicine Professor Ed Byrne said the undergraduate students would spend the next two years studying with their Australian counterparts before heading home to complete the remaining three years of their degrees in Malaysia.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for the students," he said.
"They will follow exactly the same curriculum as Australian students and gain valuable practical experience."
Malaysian student Hakimah Yusop, from Serdang, Selangor, said she was excited to be studying in Australia.
"This course is much more hands-on than those in Malaysia.
"It will give us a lot more practical experience than other students back home.
"Studying abroad is attractive to me because I think it will give me a wider range of experience and ultimately make me a better doctor," she said.
Afif Jamaludin, from Gombak, Selangor, agreed that the strong clinical emphasis was an attractive element of the Monash course.
"In Malaysia, there is a more traditional method of teaching so here in Australia we will gain an enormous amount of experience in just two years, which is great," he said.
"My first week has been very enjoyable, I have particularly enjoyed group discussions which are quite different from the predominantly lecture format of teaching in Malaysia. I look forward to the next two years in Australia."
Hawa Yasir, 21, from Ipoh, Perak, said she was lucky to be studying in Melbourne.
"The lecturers and Australian students are very helpful and friendly," she said.
Hawa said the lectures were easy to follow, but the tutorials were more difficult because the supervisors spoke too fast and she was still not used to the Aussie accent.
She said she was making every effort to improve her spoken English and get a better understanding of Australian traditions and culture.

Dialysis centres to be audited to ensure quality of service

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will start conducting audits on dialysis centres mushrooming in the country to ensure the quality of their services.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the technical and medical audit checks were part of the measures being considered by a new committee set up to ensure that the over 300 such centres in the country maintained the highest standards of dialysis care.
“Our officials have already conducted inspections on three dialysis centres in Sri Manjung and one in Seremban this month and found several deficiencies, although they complied with most of the requirements under the ministry’s guidelines,” he said at the 3rd Annual Dialysis Meeting on Nutrition in End Stage Renal Disease here yesterday.
The deficiencies included inadequate floor space for patients undergoing dialysis, the required three-monthly blood screen on patients with HIV and hepatitis not being done and lack of emergency trolleys and treatment rooms on each floor to cater for emergencies.
“Specific machines for the use of HIV, hepatitis and infectious patients were also not set aside on the excuse that there are no such patients under treatment,” Dr Chua added.
The audit, based on the ministry’s “Guidelines on Standards for Haemodialysis Treatment” would cover the centres’ physical facilities and equipment, professional staffing, monitoring of dialysis patients, adequacy of haemodialysis treatment and cross-infection control measures, among others.
He said it was important for dialysis centres to provide proper rehabilitation, including nutritional considerations, as patients could return to gainful employment and to normal and gratifying lifestyles.
He said the National Renal Registry recorded 316 dialysis centres last year of which 112 were Government-owned, 91 were run by non-governmental organisations and the remaining by the private sector.
Meanwhile, Dr Chua said a state-of-the-art scanner that enables early detection of cancer will be available next week at the Penang Hospital Nuclear Medicine Services Unit.
The hospital will be the first hospital in the country to be equipped with a PET-CT (positron emission tomography – computed tomography) scanner.
PET-CT scan is a sophisticated diagnostic technique using radioactive material or isotopes that have a short lifespan which transmits very low radiation effects.
“It is able to detect diseases especially growth or cancers at an early stage, even before there is any structural changes in the cells,” he said.

MPharm in Malaysia

THE University of Nottingham Malaysia campus will be offering a four-year pharmacy programme leading to the honours degree of Master of Pharmacy (MPharm).
The MPharm degree is offered under a 2+2 arrangement, with students taking the first two years at the Malaysia campus after which they will transfer to Nottingham to complete their third and fourth year. The first intake will be based at the new purpose-built campus in Semenyih.
The modular course aims to inculcate core pharmacy skills and knowledge as well as look into the clinical and legal aspects of the profession. In their final year, students will have the opportunity to engage in pharmaceutical research and work under the supervision of an academic staff member.
Originally established in Nottingham in 1925, the School of Pharmacy is one of the latest additions to the Malaysia campus. It is also the first school in the newly-created Health and Biological Sciences faculty.

Action plan for healthy living

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians tend to overeat, don't exercise enough and become fat and unhealthy.
This has prompted the Government to draw up a National Plan of Action for Nutrition.
In its plan to control obesity and its related diseases, the Government will outline several 10-year targets beginning this year.
The aim is to encourage breastfeeding, healthier eating habits and reducing child obesity through educational activities and healthy lifestyle campaigns, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
Speaking at a press conference after the launch of the Nutrition Society of Malaysia’s scientific conference here yesterday, Dr Chua said Malaysians were eating out more often and were skipping meals due to their busy schedules.
“Malaysians could eat up to 24 hours,” he said.
The lack of physical activity was evident as the ministry’s survey in 1996 showed that only 11.6% Malaysians exercised adequately,” he said, adding that the figures would not have changed much today.
He said the data also showed that the prevalence of overweight and obese adolescents in urban areas was high at about 40%, while about 8% of urban primary schoolchildren could be overweight.
Dr Chua said being overweight and obese were major risk factors for diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
He also said that strategies under the action plan included educating the public on the new Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia (RNI), which was launched at the same function.
The new RNI was drawn up based on local research and data.
Nutrition Society vice-president Prof Dr Mohd Ismail Noor said the information from the RNI, which was a revision of the 1975 Recommended Dietary Intake, would be made available to the public through pamphlets and consultations by the country’s 450 nutritionists and dieticians.
“In the new RNI, Malaysians are encouraged to eat more dietary fibre and reduce calories intake through fatty foods and oils.
“The RNI also gives guidelines on recommended nutrient intake based on the degree of physical activities,” he said.

Malaysia looks for new approach to reduce AIDS cases

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Malaysia is looking for a more effective approach to reduce the AIDS infection rate in the country as the number of AIDS cases continues to escalate, a health official said here Thursday.
Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek said that his ministry would have a dialogue with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and relevant government agencies next month to find a new approach to tackle the problem.
"Compared to Australia, which has nearly the same population asMalaysia, the number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in this country is thrice theirs," he told reporters after opening the 20th Scientific Conference of the Nutrition Society Malaysia here.
He said the number of people infected with HIV and AIDS in Malaysia now stood at 60,000, compared with only 20,000 in Australia, a developed nation that had a wider network to detect the disease.
He also said that presently the ministry did not propose to make it compulsory for couples who intend to get married to undergo HIV/AIDS tests.
The ministry preferred to look at the prevention aspects as such tests were not so effective in ascertaining that a person wasreally free from HIV and AIDS, he said.
"This is because each patient has a 'window period' where HIV and AIDS cannot be detected if his antibodies don't reach a certain level," he said.
A total of 7.9 billion ringgit (2.08 billion US dollars) were allocated in 2005 budget to upgrade health services to the Malaysians.