Four more foreign varsities accept UEC

HOLDERS of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) can apply to study medicine and dentistry at three Indonesian universities and one in India which now recognise the qualification, reported Nanyang Siang Pau.
United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) chairman Quek Suan Hiang said this development was a significant recognition of Chinese independent schools.
The three Indonesian institutions are Trisakti University, Kristen Krida Wacana University and Prof Dr Moestopo University, all in Jakarta, while the one in India is the Vinayaka Mission’s Sankarachariyar Dental College.
Quek said medicine and dentistry graduates of all four universities were recognised by the Public Services Department, Malaysian Medical Council and Malaysian Dental Council.
Quek said students from Chinese independent schools often opted to do medicine and dentistry in Taiwan, but had to sit for a qualifying test when they came back on completing their studies before they could practise here.
“Now, those who want to further their studies in medicine and dentistry can apply to study in one of the four universities and they do not need to sit for the test,” he said.

Free screenings for all mums

PUTRAJAYA: Mothers nationwide – from first time mum to ‘senior’ parent – can receive a free screening package that includes breast examinations until the end of the week.
The health package also comes with free pap smear and blood tests, wellness screening and family planning services.
The programme, to mark Mother’s Day, started yesterday and would end on Sunday.
In a statement here, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry said the free health-screening package is in recognition of women’s role in society.
It is available at any of the 50 National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) clinics and Nur Sejahtera clinics nationwide.
The screening is being offered to mothers in three categories:
·FOR young mothers (aged 20 to 29), the package covers family planning services, detection of breast abnormality and pap smear service for cervical cancer diagnostics check.
·FOR middle-aged mothers (aged 40 to 49) the package offers blood pressure test, body mass index, family planning services, breast examination, pap smear and blood tests for glucose and cholesterol.
·MOTHERS in the senior category (aged above 49), will get a package that offers blood pressure test, body mass index, breast examination, pap smear, blood tests for glucose and cholesterol, bone scan and menopause counselling.
The ministry said it acknowledged that women were the pulse of the family.
“The woman brings the family together. If she is not healthy – physically, mentally or emotionally – it will be difficult for her to fulfil her responsibilities and contribute as mother, wife and community member,” it said.

Through the free health-screening programme, the ministry hopes to instil the importance of health among women.

Doctors can apply for practising cert early

Doctors can now apply for their Annual Practising Certificate (APC) starting July 1 instead of Dec 1 as was the practice earlier.
Malaysian Medical Council president Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said the change was to avoid late applications.
He said some doctors were in the habit of submitting applications at the eleventh hour and were often imposed a RM50 late fee. This caused backlogs and delays in the issuance of certificates.
Dr Ismail, who is the Director-General of Health, also cautioned doctors about practising within the areas specified in the APCs and locum work.
On the areas, he said: "There is no limit to the number of places of practice under the APC. But doctors must practise in these speficied places and nowhere else."
He added that the MMC had received numerous reports of doctors working in clinics they were not permitted to, including performing plastic surgery in beauty salons.
On locum work, he said government doctors were only allowed to do so in government hospitals and not in private clinics as most of them were now doing.

183 Medical Students Overseas Apply To Defer Return

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 (Bernama) -- A total of 183 medical students sponsored by the government have applied to delay their return to Malaysia after completing their studies overseas.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said another 99 students did not apply to do so and their cases have been referred to the Attorney-General's Office for further action.
In a written reply to Senator Samsiah Samsuddin in the Dewan Negara Tuesday, he said the deadline for the students to submit their applications was April 30.
Samsiah wanted to know whether were many government-sponsored students who did not return after completing their studies and were working overseas, and the action to be taken against them.
Abdullah said government scholars studying overseas were required to apply to the Public Service Department if they wanted to delay their return and were required to return as soon as possible to serve in the country after the expiry of the extended duration.

IJN Participates In Study Against Heart Failure

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Bernama) -- The National Heart Institute (IJN) Wednesday received a RM76,000 grant from the Medtronic International Ltd, a leader in medical technology, to conduct a study on the "Pacing to Avoid Cardiac Enlargement" (PACE).
IJN's consultant cardiologist Dr Razali Omar said the study, which included the development of a new device in the treatment of heart rhythm abnormalities, is the first to be conducted in the world and will take three years to complete.
"The study is about the implantation of the new device of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacemaker for patients with heart failure," Dr Razali told a news conference after the cheque presentation ceremony here.
At the ceremony, IJN Medical Director Datuk Seri Dr Robaayah Zambahari, who is also the head of the Department of Cardiology, said IJN would conduct the study with several renowned centres in the region.
IJN has conducted 26 clinical trials since 1996 and 16 trials have been completed and published, while 10, including the one on PACE, was ongoing.
CRT pacemaker, also known as biventricular pacing, is planted in the right atrium and ventricle and left atrium in the heart to prevent heart failure and disfunction of the heart.
The cheque was presented by Vice President Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Asia Pacific of Medtronic International Ltd, Jim Yearick to Dr Robaayah.
Also present were Chief Executive Officer of IJN Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus and Medtronic International Ltd-Malaysia Sales Manager for CRM Tan Tee Joo.
Medtronic has a long-term partnership with IJN and Medtronic has trained doctors from Pakistan and Indonesia at IJN.

Check with MMC first, parents told

KUALA LUMPUR: Parents are reminded to check with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) on the authenticity of medical institutions prior to enrolling their children to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous “secret agents.”
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said they had received reports that these “secret agents” were irresponsible parties who went around convincing parents that there were new medical institutions in the process of being recognised by the MMC.
He said currently there were no new institutions recognised by the MMC.
“We want to remind the public that a college or institution should not be considered recognised until it has been approved by the Health Minister and gazetted,” he said yesterday.
Dr Ismail said there were about 300 students studying in unregistered foreign institutions.
He also said that to date MMC recognises 344 local and foreign medical institutions offering undergraduate medical degrees, which have been listed on the Second Schedule of the Medical Act 1971.
Dr Ismail said based on the Act, only graduates with degrees from recognised institutions were allowed to register and practice medicine in Malaysia.
“Graduates from unrecognised colleges will have to sit for and pass the Medical Qualifying Examination in three local universities or examining bodies before they can practice,” he said.

Healthcare due for major revamp

The existing national healthcare system is due for a major revamp, with the way being paved by the enforcement of the National Health Financing Scheme (NHFS) next year.
The practicalities of the scheme, however, are causing ripples already among parties likely to be affected or left out. While one million civil servants, 200,000 disabled persons, 435,000 pensioners and around a quarter million hardcore poor are exempted from payment, senior citizens not covered by pension schemes could be left out in the cold.
“Do companies that already have private insurance plans need to contribute to the health plan? What is the criteria for the poor who are exempted?” said S. Radhakrishnan, past president of Medico Legal Society, and adviser to the conference (May 19) Medical Law – Current Development and Future Implications.
The meeting, on May 19, provides an opportunity for people who have concerns over the proposed health plan, and the far-reaching implications on provision of healthcare, to present their views to the government.
It is organised by the Malayan Law Journal/LexisNexis.
“Further details are not available at the moment and there is a growing concern among those affected – doctors, workers and their dependents, senior citizens and employers over this issue,” said Radhakrishnan.
“Until we know the details of the scheme, the legal framework cannot be addressed,” he said.
Radhakrishnan said he hopes that it will be addressed after the Ministry of Health presents the details of the NHFS during the conference.
The ministry will be looking into details such as the quantum of payment criteria and ceiling of contributions, the collection mechanism, the basic health packages and the provider payment mechanism.
The panel members will include speakers from MOH, the Malaysian Medical Association, the Malaysian Employers’ Federation, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, Consumers Association of Penang, the National Council of Senior Citizens Organisations and the Medico Legal Society.
Participants will include doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, lawyers and insurance company executives.
Other topics that will be presented in the medical law conference are Patient’s Autonomy in Malaysia, Organ Donation Transplants, Medical Discipline Inquiry.
# For inquiries, call 03-77186863/64/65/46.

Beware of ‘Swiss-made’ health supplements

The Health Ministry today warned consumers against purchasing popular health supplements which are purportedly manufactured in Switzerland.
In a statement today, it said the products were manufactured locally and not imported from abroad.
"These products, which include Vitamin C, Vitamin C+Collagen, Sheep Placenta and other well-known brands, were produced here by irresponsible people.
"The ministry will not hesitate to take action against those found involved in importing, selling or supplying products which have not been approved by the Drug Control Unit."
It said the ministry had also received many complaints from consumers on the rampant use of unregistered cosmetics at beauty parlours and hair-dressing salons.
"These unregistered products have had dire effects on the skin.
"We advise consumers to be careful of such unethical practices by the operators of beauty centres and clinics."
The statement advised consumers to ensure that the products had valid hologram stickers issued by the Drug Control Unit.
"It is an offence for anyone to possess unregistered products under the Cosmetics and Drug Control Act 1984."
First offenders face a maximum fine of RM25,000 or a three-year jail term or both.
For subsequent offences, they face a maximum fine of RM50,000 and imprisonment of not more than five years or both.
Companies can be fined a maximum of RM50,000 for the first offence and RM100,000 subsequently.

Hospitals, Highways, Bridge And Varsity Among 215 Problematic Projects

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Bernama) -- Four hospitals, four highway stretches, a bridge and a university are the bigger of 215 projects nationwide that are regarded as problematic, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Monday.
He told the Dewan Negara that generally the government had taken appropriate measures, including appointing new contractors and rescheduling the construction period, to complete these projects.

The hospitals were those in Sungai Buluh, Sungai Petani, Alor Star and Ampang

The minister said the Sungai Buluh Hospital should have been completed by Oct 31 last year but the project was stalled by technical problems, and several installations were inadequate and medical equipment had yet to be supplied.

The ceiling-mounted microscope in the main opthalmological operating theatre would be installed by May 31 while the supply of medical equipment was expected to be completed next month, he added.

Samy Vellu said the delay in the construction of the Alor Star and Sungai Petani hospitals was due to a shortage of workers following the recent repatriation of illegal foreign workers, as well as additional scope of work in certain sections.

The period of construction of the Alor Star Hospital, work on which started on Aug 16, 2000 and was scheduled to be completed on Dec 15, 2003, had been extended to June 14 this year, he said, adding that work on the Sungai Petani Hospital had been extended to May 5. It was scheduled to have been completed on Feb 8 last year.

He also said that the Ampang Hospital, scheduled for completion on Oct 15 last year, had its construction period extended to April 30 this year following additional technical requirements to meet the functional needs of the hospital.

Exposing aspiring doctors to the gore

TANJUNG MALIM: Applicants for medical courses in local universities will be first taken around hospitals to allow them to look at the “gore” doctors have to see daily before their applications are approved.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said the move was to ensure that applicants would know what they were in for and not drop out halfway.
He said not all brilliant students were “doctor material.”
“Some straight-A students may be better off being engineers and not doctors,” he said yesterday after Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah launched Politeknik Tanjong Malim, which was subsequently renamed Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah.
He said there were applicants who were forced to take up medicine by their parents despite it not being their preference.
In such cases, he said, the candidate would drop out due to a lack of interest. If they did not, they would not be good doctors, he added.
He said applicants would be taken to, among others, emergency rooms, clinics and wards.
“If the applicants are found to be unsuitable for medicine, they will be allowed to change their course preference after visiting the hospitals,” he said.
He noted that doctors were required to have good interpersonal and communication skills, which were vital in helping the patients.
He added that Health Ministry officials would interview the applicants to find out why they wanted to be doctors.
Dr Shafie said there were plans to get medical course applicants to undergo a special aptitude test before their applications were finalised.
He said the Government had allocated 200 more medical seats in local universities this year to ensure that none of the top students were left out, like what had happened to 128 students last year.
Last year, only 779 of the 907 applicants were successful.

Plan to speed up treatment

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry wants treatment to be provided to patients within 90 minutes of registration at general hospitals, and has engaged a consultant to propose how this can be done.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the consultant had two months to submit a report to enable the ministry to meet the stipulation in its Clients Charter of the maximum 90-minute waiting period for treatment at such hospitals.
However, he said delays in providing treatment were not only due to weaknesses in the filing system of medical records in hospitals, but also due to the attitude of patients.
“There are patients with appointments who fail to show up and others only come when it is suitable.
“Some patients also attend specialist clinics without any reference, while others are reluctant to return to their previous doctors, causing further delays,” he said after launching a blood donation campaign organised by the Balakong MCA in Cheras yesterday.
Dr Chua said many of those who sought treatment at the casualty unit also did not qualify for emergency treatment.
“There are some who come for treatment for itchy hands, diarrhoea and even normal cough,” he added.
On blood donations, he said all such donations were screened for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis before being approved for transfusion.
Dr Chua also said that the ministry wanted to increase the number of volunteer blood donors from the present 2% of the population to 5% by the next 10 to 15 years.

Penang hospitals join diseases database team

PENANG: With people living longer these days, more are facing the risk of getting diseases related to aging.
For this reason, a group of scientists in Canada, led by a Malaysian, is gathering blood sample data from around the world to develop a database of molecular signatures of a wide range of medical conditions and diseases.
Prof Liew Choong-Chin, the chief scientist and director of Chondrogene Ltd of Toronto, said with the increase in life expectancy, more people would live long enough to risk getting cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
“We have to look at developing an early diagnostic system for the prediction of diseases,” he said, adding that they have roped in two private hospitals in Penang for the worldwide project.
His company signed an agreement with the Island Hospital yesterday to develop the Medical Biotechnology and Personalised Medicine programme. It entered into a similiar agreement with the Lam Wah Ee hospital on Thursday.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, witnessed yesterday’s signing ceremony between Prof Liew and Island Hospital chief executive officer Dr Chan Kok Ewe.
According to a statement, during a general screening test, all that is needed is a blood sample of the patient for the doctor to identity any disease and medical condition present by using the database.
Kampar-born Prof Liew, an ex-student of the Chung Ling High School here, said: “We chose to come here because I was born in Malaysia and educated in Penang.
“Penang also has a lot of talented people and is pioneering medical technology in the country.”
Dr Koh commended Prof Liew for returning here and said it was in line with the national policy to give impetus to the Malaysian biotechnology sector.
“Penang can contribute to the advancement of medical care not only in promoting medical tourism but also in offering the best diagnostic system and treatment to locals,” he said.
Dr Chan said private hospitals here had made the island proud by making it the foremost state in the country to contribute towards medical tourism.

200 Additional Places For Medical Courses In Local Varsities

SLIM RIVER, May 7 (Bernama) -- Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said his ministry will increase the number of places for medical courses in local universities by another 200 for this year's intake.
He said additional allocation had been provided to the deans of medical faculties to increase learning facilities and student intake capacity.
The Health Ministry had also been asked to allow doctors who were on loan as lecturers to continue their services at the universities concerned, he said.
"The move was taken to overcome the problem which cropped up last year when 128 outstanding students failed to gain places in medical studies," he said after the opening of Politeknik Tanjong Malim by the Sultan of Perak, Azlan Shah, here Saturday.
Also present were Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun and Raja Nazrin Shah.
At the ceremony, Sultan Azlan declared the change of name for the polytechnic which was opened two years ago to Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah.
Last year, 907 students who passed the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and matriculation with a Cumulative Grade Points Average (CPGA) of 4.0 chose medicine as their first choice but only 779 candidates were selected although the number of places for the programme at six public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) had been increased by five per cent.
Dr Shafie said the ministry might also require applicants for medical studies to sit for the Medical School Admission Test (MSAT) beginning next year as an additional requirement.
He said the ministry might take the MSAT designed by the University of Monash, Australia as a guide.
However, applicants for medical studies this year would be asked to attend an interview session and visits to hospital wards or clinics as one of the ways of screening students to ensure that they were truly qualified and capable of pursuing the highly competitive course.
Last year, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad was quoted as saying that about 300 doctors who had completed their practical training resigned from government service each year as they found that they were not suited for the job.

Preventing spread of AIDS to innocent

BALING: The Health Ministry will consider introducing a provision under the law to act against HIV-infected patients who intentionally spread the disease through sexual contact.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the provision was necessary as there were cases of HIV patients having sex with their spouses or partners despite knowing they were spreading the deadly disease.
He said there might also be a need for the medical profession to review its Code of Conduct where HIV cases were concerned as doctors were now bound by the code not to disclose confidential information obtained from patients.
Dr Chua said some countries had implemented laws to prevent the spread of AIDS to innocent people.
In Malaysia, such a provision under the law was relevant to check the spread of the disease, he told reporters after a working visit to Baling Hospital here yesterday.
“The ministry hopes this provision will help reduce the number of HIV patients in future.
“Currently, the law does not provide for action to be taken against those who purposely spread the disease to their spouses or partners through sexual contact.
“With the provision, HIV-infected patients who intentionally infect others through sexual contact will be deemed as having committed an offence under the law.”
On Thursday, Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar urged the Health Ministry to fulfil its social obligation by allowing the confidentiality of married men infected with HIV to be lifted.
He had said there had been cases of doctors upholding their code of conduct and keeping mum about their HIV-positive patients.
On another matter, Dr Chua said the ministry would step up checks on Indonesians entering the country to stem the spread of polio.
He said the decision was made following the polio outbreak in Indonesia.

Kindergarten closed over HFM cases

SEREMBAN: A private kindergarten here was ordered closed by the Health Department after five of its pupils were suspected to have hand, foot and mouth (HFM) disease.
The children were treated at a private clinic yesterday.
State Health, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Datuk Yu Chok Tow said the kindergarten would remain closed for 10 days to enable it to be cleaned and disinfected.
Besides distributing leaflets on the disease, the Health Department had also asked all kindergartens to improve their cleanliness, he told reporters.
“The situation is under control and there is no cause for worry,” he added.
HFM disease spreads easily via excrement, saliva and physical contact.
Last February, two private kindergartens in Tampin and Seremban were closed after six of their pupils came down with the disease.
One more private kindergarten here with two suspected cases of HFM disease was closed last month.
All three reopened after a thorough clean-up. – Bernama

Govt Hospitals To Have Fast Lane For Old People, Pensioners

PENANG, May 6 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry Friday directed all government hospitals in the country to immediately establish a fast lane for outpatient treatment of old people, pensioners and those who require immediate medical attention.
Director General of Health Datuk Dr Ismail Merican said it was discourteous to make these people, especially the old, to wait too long for treatment.
Hospitals would station a staff at every lane to inspect the appointment card of patients to ensure that those who were gravely ill were given priority for treatment, he told reporters after making a courtesy call on Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon here.
Dr Ismail said the directive was to help enhance the health delivery system at the 124 hospitals and six health institutes in the country, and added that several hospitals were already practising the system.
He also said that hospitals should give priority to emergency cases, including at the dental clinics, and should not postpone treatment.
"If there is a genuine emergency case, treatment must administered immediately and the individual should not be asked to return on another date.
"But there are cases of people with a cough going to the emergency section; such cases cannot be considered as emergency cases," he said.
Dr Ismail said all directors of hospitals had been instructed to make surprise visits to the outpatient department, pharmacy, emergency unit and wards to monitor developments.
He said government hospitals had good infrastructure and trained medical specialists but, sometimes, a lack of communication caused various problems related to the health service.
"Right now we face the challenge of not only diseases but also our capability to provide service to clients, and the clients' demand for an efficient and effective health system," he said.
In this connection, he advised staff of the ministry to emphasise three important aspects -- professionalism, teamwork and caring attitude -- as a means of enhancing the standard of service to clients.
Dr Ismail also said that doctors should wear a white shirt and name tag when on ward rounds to avert any confusion among patients.
"As a means of promoting the ministry's branding, they should equip themselves with knowledge, provide valid ideas and feedback at meetings, have integrity and display a pleasant disposition," he said.
Dr Ismail said his visit to Penang was the first of several visits to all parts of the country to deliver this message to all staff of the ministry.
He said the health service in Penang was a draw in terms of health tourism and that about 45 per cent of the tourists to the state came for medical treatment.

Faber to bid for five hospitals

HOSPITAL services provider Faber Group Bhd is looking towards a tender of support services for five hospitals that are being built in its concession areas.
The group holds a concession to provide support services for 73 Government hospitals in the northern peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.
After the concession was awarded, it is understood that for new hospitals, the Health Ministry will now make the awards based on open tender. Faber has a good chance of securing contracts for new hospitals in its concession areas where it has the advantage of logistics and economies of scale.
“We are trying to be as efficient and cost-effective as possible so that we will be competitive,” chairman Datuk Anwar Aji told newsmen after an AGM in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The hospital services provided by the company are cleansing, laundry, clinical waste management, facility engineering management and bio-medical engineering maintenance.
This is the core business of the restructured Faber, which provided the group with an operating profit of RM60mil last year.

Trauma centre service abused

KANGAR: Some 70% of the people seeking treatment at emergency trauma centres at government hospitals and clinics in the country have abused the service, a survey shows.
A recent study on 50 hospitals and 20 clinics showed that although their injuries were not serious, these people insisted on seeking treatment at the trauma centres, said Health Minister Datuk Chua Soi Lek.
“Although their injuries were not serious, they insisted on seeking treatment at the trauma centres. This amounts to an abuse of the services,” he said here yesterday.

Reduce long waiting hours at hospitals
Tardy doctors and delays in opening registration counters are two reasons for long waits at hospitals.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said today that patients who turned up late for appointments or on the wrong dates also contributed to the problem.
This was compounded by the unsystematic filing of patients' medical records and delays in preparing laboratory test results.
"These are among the reasons why hospitals, particularly those in major towns, are unable to achieve the hospital's client charter of 90 minutes' waiting time." Registration counters in the morning should open half-an-hour before the doctors start treating patients, he added.
He was speaking after the launch of a new wing at the Kangar Hospital by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail.
The King named the hospital "Hospital Tuanku Fauziah", after the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Fauziah Tengku Abdul Rashid.
Also present were the Regent of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra, the Raja Puan Muda Perlis, Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akashah, and the Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
The RM54 million new wing comprises a six-storey ward and a three-storey diagnostic and treatment block.
To reduce long waiting hours at hospitals, Dr Chua said a new format would be introduced to separate patients with chronic and non-chronic illnesses.
"This is especially for patients suffering from diabetes and hypertension. We will be empowering specially trained nurses to treat these patients. Reports have shown that nurses provide better care to patients than outpatient doctors." Earlier, the King urged the hospital staff to continue to "go out of your way to provide good treatment".

Noh Suggests Allowing Doctors To Disclose HIV Patients' Illness To Spouse

BALING, May 5 (Bernama) -- Internal Security Deputy Minister Datuk Noh Omar, Thursday suggested that the Health Ministry looked into the medical ethics relating to HIV/AIDS to allow doctors to disclose a patient's illness to his or her spouse.
He said doctors, for example, should be allowed to tell the wife of a HIV patient about his infection so that she could take preventive measures to avoid contracting the disease herself.
At the moment, he said, doctors were bound by their ethics not to disclose their patients' illness without their consent, but he feared that HIV patients would keep their condition secret from their spouses.
"If a HIV patient keeps his illness secret, he would be endangering his spouse as the disease could be spread through sexual contact," he told a media conference after launching a campaign against drugs and illegal racing organised by the 4B Youth movement here.
"I am making this suggestion to prevent the innocent from becoming victims," he said.
Noh, however, said 75 per cent of the HIV/AIDS patients contracted the disease through drug abuse by sharing needles.
In an immediate response to the suggestion, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said he personally felt that people suffering from HIV/AIDS who knew they had the disease but still donated blood or had sex which could infect someone else should be considered to have committed an offence.
He said the ministry had discussed the matter in view of the expected rise in HIV patients to 300,000 in 2015 from the present 160,000.