Makna President Declines Comment On RM1bln Pledged Donation

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- Whether the National Cancer Council (Makna) has received the pledged donation of RM1 billion, or even a part of the sum, from self-proclaimed billionaire, Lebanese Elie Yousef Najim, has yet to be ascertained.
Makna President Datuk Mohd Farid Ariffin, when met by reporters, here Wednesday, declined to say whether the payment had been made.
"Deep in my heart, I always hope for people's help. I don't question their intention as long as it's halal," he said.
Despite repeated prompting by reporters, Mohd Farid declined comment when met after a Makna Cancer Research Award presentation ceremony at the National Science Academy here: "Mulut saya tutup (my lips are sealed), no comment".
"Sorry, I can't say anything. Let Makna go," he said when asked whether the money pledged by Elie had been deposited into the council's account.
Mohd Farid did say, however, that he had spoken to Elie after Elie had told the press that he would credit part of the pledged amount into Makna's account.
"We did talk to each other" is all that Mohd Farid said when asked what had transpired during their conversation.
Elie, 45, who claimed to be a billionaire and a doctor, captured newspaper headlines last month after announcing a donation of US$275 million (RM1.03 billion) to Makna to build a cancer treatment and research hospital.
The news attracted much reaction from the public, and some people came forward to complain that they had been cheated by the Lebanese.
Elie has been investigated by the police in connection with the numerous alleged cheating cases.

Officers check Setapak homes

Star: PUTRAJAYA: Health officers are going from house to house to check for flu symptoms among the residents within a 300m radius of the area in Jalan Genting Klang in Setapak where 40 kampung (free range) chickens died of the H5N1 strain of the avian flu.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), one of the 21 centres designated to care for bird flu patients, had been put on standby.
“Our staff from the Federal Territory health division and officers from City Hall will be checking on residents there for any signs of fever or flu, and if necessary we will refer them to HKL,” he told reporters after launching the National Nutritional Policy here yesterday.
“We have also asked the Institute for Medical Research to be prepared to test large samples for signs of the virus.”
At press time, nine people aged between seven months and 57 have been warded at HKL for observation. They showed symptoms of flu, including cough and fever.
Dr Chua advised the public not to panic and to remain calm over the latest incidents.
“We have yet to determine the number of houses or staff involved in this operation. We are giving them a guarantee that our staff at federal and district levels are ready to deal with any eventuality,” he said.
“I want to advise the public not to listen to rumours. We will follow the Prime Minister’s directive and be transparent about bird flu cases.
“So far, no cases of infection among humans have been detected,” he stressed.
Dr Chua said the Veterinary Services Department had also been directed to cull chickens that might have been infected as soon as possible.
“This is to prevent chicken breeders from attempting to hide their livestock,” he said, adding that farmers who felt sick or feverish should also go to hospital for a check-up.
On Jan 9, the Government laun-ched the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan to tackle the possibility of avian flu being detected in the country. Under the plan, farmers are encouraged to report to the authorities any deaths of poultry.
A simulation exercise to test the national preparedness for avian flu was to have taken place next month.
Meanwhile, demand for Tamiflu, one of the four drugs that work against the flu, rose in Setapak and Gombak pharmacies.
“There was a rush for the drug when I opened for business this morning (yesterday),” a pharmacist operating in Gombak said.
He said people were worried and “stocking up the drug as a precautionary measure.”

Handle chickens carefully

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Health Ministry infectious disease control department director Dr Ramlee Rahmat urged people to practise personal hygiene when dealing with chickens or any other birds.
“Handle the chickens properly, use a face mask if necessary and clean yourself after handling chicken, especially their faeces,” he added.
Dr Ramlee said they were now in the active detection mode and were going door to door near Jalan Genting Klang to check for any bird flu symptoms.
“The team has to look out for people who need further investigation; they will be sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. We have to isolate and admit them for further treatment to check if their symptoms were of normal flu or of the H5N1 virus,” he said.
Dr Ramlee said, so far, they had no confirmation of anyone being infected with the virus.
On whether a human can get the virus from a bird, he said it would not be easy, but also depended on how close they were to the chickens.
“If you look at the other countries, there is a big difference between the number of chickens affected and the number of humans with the virus,” he noted.
“Passers-by should not be worried that they will catch the virus just because they see a chicken. Nevertheless, we want to take all safety measures necessary to ensure no one is infected.”
Norasiah Alang has been staying in Taman Sang Kancil in Kampung Pasir Wardieburn for the last 18 years but never before has she seen such busy activities there in such a short period of time.
“So many people visited us today, including health officials and the media. The health officials came to our house and asked about our well-being, if we were suffering from cough, flu or fever since Chinese New Year.”
All the houses visited by the officials were marked with a sticker to indicate that the household had been visited.

Strict watch on villages

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: A safety ring has been thrown around a 10km radius of the bird flu-hit villages in Setapak here to contain the deadly H5N1 virus as culling of chickens, ducks and other birds continued till the wee hours today.
At press time, there was no report of any resident within a 300m radius of the Jalan Genting Klang area, where 40 kampung chickens were found dead with the strain, being infected by the deadly virus.
Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Mah Siew Keong said the 10km surveillance ring was to ensure that the virus did not spread beyond the affected villages.
Between 11pm on Monday and 5am yesterday, the Veterinary Services Department had culled 495 chickens and ducks within a 1km radius of the affected four villages – Kg Belakang JPJ, Kg Wira Jaya, Kg Pasir Wardieburn and Kg Danau Kota.
As a precautionary measure, the department also took fluid samples from 400 birds within and outside the area where the N5H1 virus was discovered.
“We are carrying out a 24-hour surveillance within a 1km radius of the villages where the birds were found dead with the H5N1 virus,” said deputy secretary-general of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry Sukandar Abdul Latif.
“There are no new deaths of chickens, ducks or birds at the villages, and we are monitoring the birds at the National Zoo.”
The surveillance is expected to continue for the next 21 days – the time needed to determine if an area is free of the virus.
An operations centre, headed by Dr Abu Hasan Mohd Ali, had been set up, along with a hotline for the public to report bird deaths.
Villagers at the affected areas continued with their day-to-day business.
Health Ministry disease control division director Dr Ramlee Rahmat said the team conducting the house to house health checks would know by today how many people, if any, had been infected by the virus.

Source Of Virus To Be Known In Two Weeks

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- The source of the avian influenza H5N1 virus found at Batu 4 1/2 Jalan Genting Kelang, here would be known within the next two weeks, said the Deputy Director of the Selangor Veterinary Services Department, Datuk Dr Aziz Jamaluddin.
He said the result would also ascertain the type of avian influenza virus which was now being studied by the Veterinary Research Institute in Ipoh, Perak.
"We have to ascertain the form and pattern of the virus, whether it is the same as the virus which had affected Kelantan, Indonesia, Vietnam or Thailand to find out where the virus came from," he told reporters during the operation to round up poultry in Setapak, here Tuesday night.
Monday, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin described the death of 40 free-range chicken at Jalan Genting Kelang as isolated cases and there was no cause for panic.
"The virus cannot live in the host, that is poultry, that had been fried, cooked or roasted. The bottom line is that the poultry must be cooked in temperature exceeding 80 degrees celsius to ensure that the avian influenza virus is killed," he said.
On the operation to round up the poultry, he said it started at 11 pm involving 80 personnel from the Veterinary Services Department and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) covering areas in Taman Danau Kota, Pekan Danau Kota and Kampung Pasir Wardieburn in Setapak.

Ministry going all out to fight obesity

Star: PUTRAJAYA: The National Nutritional Policy aims to reduce the number of overweight children to less than 10%, and adults to less than 30%, of the population by 2016.
At the same time, it hopes to reduce obesity among Malaysians to not more than 15% of the population.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said a survey of those aged between 19 and 59 showed that the percentage of overweight and obese Malaysians was 39% in 2003, up from 20% in 1996.
“At the same time, the number of people doing thrice weekly exercises of 20 minutes increased marginally from 12% to 14%,” he said after launching the policy here yesterday.
“The average weight of Malaysians is now 63kg. We have to seriously change the way we eat.”

Health Ministry Advises Lens Users To Discontinue Using ReNu Solution

SINGAPORE, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has strongly advised contact lens users to discontinue the use of Bausch & Lomb (S) Pte Ltd (B & L) ReNu multipurpose contact lens solution following a recent case of contact lens-related fungal corneal infections.
The ministry said that the advice was a precautionary measure until the causes behind the recent increase in infections could be more clearly ascertained.
"B & L will advise consumers on what to do with existing stocks of their product," it said in a statement.
In the meanwhile, contact lens users were advised to practise proper contact lens care while those who have experienced any symptoms of infection, such as redness of eyes or pain or itchiness, should consult a doctor immediately.
The ministry said that investigations were ongoing on the matter.
"B & L has voluntarily suspended sales of its ReNu multipurpose solution, and is cooperating with the Ministry of Health and Health Science Authority in the investigations," the ministry said.
As of Monday, there were 39 cases of fungal corneal infection with a history of contact lens use.
Out of the 39 cases, 34 said that they had used ReNu, four were unsure of the brand of contact lens solution they used and one had used a different bran

Health Ministry Mounts Surveillance In Gombak To Check Bird Flu

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry launched passive and active surveillance in Gombak Tuesday after the bird flu virus was detected in free-range chickens at 4 1/2 Mile Jalan Genting Kelang.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the surveillance would cover a 300m radius from chicken pens where the infected chickens were found.
The surveillance method was similar to that exercised in Tumpat previously, he told reporters here.
He said the Veterinary Services Department had begun to cull fowls in Kampung Pasir Wardieburn, Taman Danau Kota, Pekan Danau Kota and Kampung Belakang JPJ.
The Kuala Lumpur Health Department and City Hall would carry out close surveillance and house-to-house inspections to find out if anyone had fallen sick, he said.
"If necessary, those who are sick will be referred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital," he said.
Dr Chua said the KL Hospital had been instructed to take preparatory measures as it was among the hospitals with adequate facilities and equipment to treat patients infected with avian influenza.
Yesterday, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said 40 free-range chickens died of the H5N1 avian influenza virus at 4 1/2 Mile Jalan Genting Kelang last week.
The public need not worry as it was an isolated case and did not involve humans, he said.
Dr Chua said the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) had also been instructed to be ready to conduct tests on possible cases as quickly as possible.
He said the ministry had not been able to determine how many houses or people would be placed under surveillance at present.
"Maybe by this afternoon, we'll know how many," he said.
Dr Chua said the ministry and the Kuala Lumpur Health Department would be on the alert for any possible bird flu case on humans.
"If there is any, we will announce it in the electronic and print media," he said.
"We will abide by the prime minister's call for transparency and openness. So, no one should speculate or make assumptions," he said.
Earlier, Dr Chua launched the National Dietary Policy and opened the 2nd National Dietary Action Plan Forum.
Meanwhile, in KUALA LUMPUR, Dr Chua told reporters before an MCA presidential council meeting that chicken that had been properly cooked was safe for consumption.
So far, there was no case of humans being infected with avian influenza after eating cooked chicken, he said.
"Most of them (those infected with the H5N1 virus overseas) are poultry farmers, who have close association with the chickens, rather than from eating chicken meat," he said.
Meanwhile, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said all the government agencies had been placed on alert to tackle the latest isolated case.
He said the local authorities had been asked to give their fullest cooperation to the leading agencies such as the Veterinary Services Department and Health Department in handling the matter.

Muhyiddin Says Bird Flu Case Isolated, Assures No Cause For Alarm

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- The death of 40 free range chickens from the H5N1 avian influenza virus at Mile 4 1/2 Jalan Genting Kelang here last week was an isolated case, said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Monday.
He said the public did not need to worry as there was no death involving a human from the virus.
"Tests conducted at the Veterinary Laboratory in Petaling Jaya and at the Livestock Research Institute in Ipoh confirmed the death of the free range chickens was caused by H5N1 avian influenza virus," he said in a statement issued through Bernama Monday.
Muhyiddin, who is leading an agricultural investment mission to Dubai, said all 110 free range chickens in the area covering the four settlements of Kampung Pasir Wardieburn, Taman Danau Kota, Pekan Danau Kota and Kampung Belakang JPJ, had been destroyed.
The statement was made in response to a Singapore Straits Times online report that the island republic had suspended with immediate effect the importation of poultry and eggs from Selangor after H5N1 bird flu virus was found in chickens in a village in the state.
"Immediate and integrated action had been taken by the Veterinary Services Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Health Ministry to contain the disease and prevent it from spreading," said Muhyiddin.
Besides destroying the free range chickens in the area, he said, the agencies also took action to guard and keep watch on all exits in the affected area to prevent any free range chicken from being moved out of there.
"Action to disinfect all chicken coops in the affected area was also carried out while monitoring of the area and its residents was continuing," he said.
He urged the public to report any deaths in large numbers of all types of birds to the authorities nearest them.

Singapore Suspends Poultry And Egg Imports From Selangor

SINGAPORE, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Singapore's food security authority, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), has suspended poultry and egg imports from Selangor with immediate effect after receiving what it said is "information on the detection of H5N1 in kampung chickens" at a village in the state.
AVA said in a statement late Monday that the suspension of imports was a precautionary measure, in line with the established protocol between the veterinary authorities of the two countries for poultry imports from disease-free zones in Malaysia.
"The current suspension will not affect poultry imports from the disease-free zones of Johor, Malacca, Perak and Negri Sembilan," the agency said.
AVA said it would continue to work closely with the Malaysian Veterinary Services Department to monitor the development of the disease situation to ensure that poultry imported do not compromise public and animal health.
The import suspension would not have any impact on Singapore's poultry supply, AVA said.
"Although five chicken broiler farms in Selangor had been accredited to supply poultry to Singapore, there had been no exports from these farms to Singapore since Aug 2004," it said.
There was currently only one approved layer farm in Selangor supplying eggs to Singapore.
"As imports from this farm constitute only five per cent of total egg imports from Malaysia, the impact of the suspension on our egg supply is negligible," it said, adding that poultry and poultry products in Singapore are safe for consumption.
"AVA reassures the public that we will maintain vigilance to ensure that Singapore remains free from bird flu. We will also step up surveillance and inspections at the points of entry to prevent the incursion of the disease," the agency said.

Medical Tourism, A Booming And Lucrative Sector

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Medical tourism is a booming and lucrative sector in this part of the region and Malaysia is doing quite well in it, says vice president of the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia, Professor Dr Syed Abdullah Almodzar.
"The migration of healthcare has come to the East now because it's cheaper. It costs much less to do even cosmetic surgery here compared with in the West. Before, the doctors go to the West (brain drain) but now the patients are coming over here," he said.
This is good for Malaysia, said Dr Syed Abdullah, quoting a recent news report which stated Malaysia was getting about RM67 million in terms of income in medical tourism.
He said Thailand would be the main rival for Malaysia in medical tourism due to the liberalism of the medical sector there.
"In Malaysia, the drive will be there. What we need is good management," he told reporters when met after he presented a talk at the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia's panel discussion on "The Da Vinci Code -- Human Resources" here Monday.
Dr Syed Abdullah, who is a board director at the Mahkota Medical Centre, said out of 100 patients treated at the private hospitals, at least 40 are Indonesians.
"We cater (mainly) for the Indonesian market. It has increased between 10 and 15 percent last year compared with a year before," he said.
Besides Indonesia, Bangladesh and West Asia are also considered a big market for medical tourism.
According to Dr Syed Abdullah, the market will see continuous growth despite countries like Dubai making a big investment in the sector.
"I think they are spending billions on three or four big hospitals, but when you build things very expensively, the service will cost more," he said.
Hence, people seeking treatment will still be coming here, he added.

Asians top stress chart

NST: Businessmen in Malaysia are a stressed lot, a worldwide survey showed. However, the more stressed ones were from Taiwan, followed by China, the Philippines, Botswana, Hong Kong and Singapore. Malaysia tied with South Africa for the seventh spot.
Research carried out among more than 7,000 business owners in 30 countries showed that 57 per cent of businessmen reported higher stress levels this year compared with 39 per cent in 2004, according to a global business stress index released today by the 2006 Grant Thornton International Business Owners Survey.
Businessmen in Sweden were found to be the least stressed.
The other least stressed businessmen this year were from Europe and the United States, although stress levels there had also increased dramatically.
The research showed a direct correlation between stress and the number of holidays taken by executives around the world (excluding public holidays).
East Asia continues to be the most stressed region in the world, with the majority of businessmen showing an increase in stress levels last year, probably as a result of poor holiday allowance or not fully utilising their annual holidays.
At the bottom of the league were Thailand with just four days of holidays on average, Taiwan (eight days), and Malaysia as well as Turkey (10 days each).
European countries took by far the highest number of holidays on average (22 days) compared with just 12 days in East Asia.
Topping the worldwide holiday league table was France with an average of 27 days.
The direct link between stress and holidays was fascinating, the survey observed.
Do the results indicate that executives who took more holidays felt less stressed?? Or, do they indicate that the less stressed executives were able to take more holidays?
Either way, the differences in holiday patterns around the world were huge, with Europeans clearly getting the most out of their personal time.
"However, it is important to note that we have more public holidays than our European counterparts," said Datuk N.K. Jasani, managing partner of Shamsir Jasani Grant Thornton.
Jasani said the survey reflected the need for Malaysia’s top executives to fully utilise their annual leave.
He said the high stress level could be due to the Malaysian or Asian tendency of "worrying about work while on vacation".
Malaysians, in general, he said need to emulate the European style of separating work from leisure.
The survey also found that business travels and fears over job security also contributed to stress.

Using science to pick baby’s sex

NST: Most religious leaders say it’s playing God, but an increasing number of couples are using medical technology to choose the sex of their babies.
Medical experts say young couples today are more likely to turn to gender selection.
So it was with Alice (not her real name), 33, who already had three daughters, aged between three and eight.
Her husband Lenny (not his real name), 34, had always wanted a son so that they could kick a football at the neighbourhood park.
Add that to an extremely pushy set of in-laws and the prodding from her own parents, and Alice was getting desperate.
Then she heard about the possibility of being able to choose the gender of a child.
"The concept seemed alien at first when my friend mentioned it but it was intriguing. She read about it in a local Chinese newspaper. I talked it over with my husband and we decided to give it a try," said the housewife.
Alice went to a local fertility centre in the Klang Valley.
Besides recording her personal particulars such as blood type and the cycle of her menstruation, she was also advised to eat more alkaline-based food such as seafood.
"To increase our chances, we were told to have intercourse during ovulation using a certain method," she said.
After three consultations at a total cost of RM600, she was pregnant with a son, who was born in September last year.
Malaysian Fertility Society president Datuk Dr Hamid Arshat said most couples preferred having both a boy and a girl.
Using a combination of methods, gender selection can be between 70 and 80 per cent accurate, he said.
Selecting a child’s gender, said Dr Hamid, was prevalent among all races, but more significantly among younger middle and upper-class couples.
Most couples were in their late 20s and early 30s, and many made a choice of the baby’s sex based on social or cultural reasons as certain communities preferred males.
Dr Hamid, who used to head the National Population and Family Planning Board, said this trend was prevalent in many countries including Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, "but with God’s will, there will be a balance (between girls and boys) at the end of the day".
"We are going through a luxury phase, so people are more choosy," he said.
Choice Baby Sdn Bhd director N. Therakaran said his company offered a method which had a success rate of 92 per cent.
"Rather than a 50 per cent chance, we offer a higher success rate and those who opt for it have nothing to lose as we offer a 100 per cent money-back guarantee if they fail to conceive the gender of their choice," he said.
He said when his company started in May 2001, it was seeing an average of 15 clients a month and now this had increased to 80.
Obstetrics and gynaecology consultant Dr Harlina Halizah Siraj of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said in the area of gender selection, there were strict ethical guidelines from the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.
Among the principles is that the foetus cannot be aborted because parents are unhappy with the sex of the child.
"We are now at a period where we have an option. Just like choosing the colour of a new car, some people may want to select the sex of their children.
"Before, we said it’s up to God, but now the technology is here," said Dr Harlina.

Impressive loo designs

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The days of foul-smelling public toilets in Malaysia, hopefully, are numbered.
Come Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will announce the winners of the first public toilet design competition, which aims to encourage Malaysians to discard bad hygiene habits and give due respect to the common loo.
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew said there would be nine winners in the competition – three each for three categories of toilets – stand-alone public toilets, toilets in eatery shops and toilets in shopping centres.
The competition, jointly organised by the ministry and the Works Ministry, offers for each category a first prize of RM5,000, followed by RM3,000 and RM1,000 for the second and third prizes respectively.
“The competition, which is the idea of the Deputy Prime Minister, attracted 94 entries. Of these, 41 were short-listed,” said Lau, who is in charge of his ministry’s national clean toilet campaign.
“Many of the entries are impressive. It shows the people support our move to accord proper status to public toilets in the country,” he added.
Lau said among the steps to be taken to accord proper status was to get the people to use toilets with care and keep them clean for the next user.
Good and practical design, quality construction, proper maintenance and enforcement were also equally important, he added.
Malaysian Institute of Architects deputy president Lee Chor Wah, one of the judges in the competition, described the designs and ideas in some of the entries as “a new and totally different experience, very encouraging and good.”
Nevertheless, he said, good and clean public toilets were more than just designs, citing other factors like good toilet manners, maintenance and enforcement.
Najib, who chairs the Cabinet committee on cleanliness, will also launch the Quality Restroom Association of Malaysia when he announces the winners at the Berjaya Times Square here.
A one-day exhibition on toilets will also be held in conjunction with the event, where the public can view a showcase of the latest development in toilet technology.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting as well as other ministers and state executive councillors nationwide will be among the event's 500 guests.

Having cancer, and feeling good

NST: A shop that helps breast cancer patients look better, feel better and get better is opening its doors to men — with accessories that will help guys cope with the cancers they have.
Wigs and hats, and special underwear that can conceal colostomy bags are just some of things men recovering from cancer will soon find at Amanita, a unique boutique that serves the community of Malaysians who live with cancer.
Amanita began in Ampang last year as an all-girl store that sold lacy bras, swimwear and singlets with sex appeal specifically to women who have had a mastectomy. The second store, which opened on Jan 9 at the Cancer Centre in the Subang Jaya Medical Centre, will address all cancers and all people, including children, says Amanita founder Dee Sidhu.
It stocks wigs, hats, headgear, scarves, bras, swimsuits, blouses, nightwear, sportswear and lounge wear for cancer patients. It also stocks compression gloves, sleeves, socks and stockings and suitable exercise accessories.
Forthcoming products include hats with built-in hair and various hair accessories. Soon, it will also have a range for children including cute Legionairre’s hats.
"Hair loss is a major issue for most cancer patients," says Sidhu, "so we will be stocking wigs and products for hair, as well as skin and nail care, and sun protection. When you look good, you feel good."
People recovering from cancer treatments deal with extremely dry skin, hair loss and brittle nails. Those with other illnesses, such as diabetes, need to be extra careful.
" The chemical-free skin creams are soothing and effective," says Sidhu. "There is also a selection of aromatherapy and other products to help the patient relax and be comfortable."
Breast prostheses, in addition to aesthetic reasons, help to maintain posture and spinal alignment.
After a mastectomy, a woman's remaining body weight shifts into a new centre that will eventually affect the spine and overall posture. If not addressed this can lead to severe back pain and permanent disability.
Amanita also stocks books on cancer, its treatments, diet and lifestyle. Some books are intended for children.
Subang Jaya Medical Centre executive director Datuk Dr Jacob Thomas says the Cancer Centre aims to grow into a holistic treatment centre.
"Medical treatment is one thing, emotional support is just as important to recovery," says Dr Thomas. "Patients who have a positive outlook are more likely to comply with treatment regimens and do better in an overall sense."
Dr Thomas says SJMC will work with Amanita on meaningful outreach programmes that take cancer education to schools and the community. "We hope this translates into patients seeking treatment early."
A school programme, for example, will help children understand cancer when one of them has been diagnosed with the illness This means they learn about the illness and how to deal with others who have cancer.
The adult programme helps cancer patients and their caregivers deal with appearance, exercise, nutrition, counseling and sharing.
In April, Amanita will hold a professional breast care nurse training course in Kuala Lumpur for 25 Malaysian nurses, which has been accredited by the Edith Cowan University, in Perth, Australia.

* For more information on Amanita, please visit www.amanita.com.my or email dee@amanita.com.my

Study on plant that turns cats on

Star: KANGAR: A herbal plant, which stimulates cats to moan and groan after smelling or eating it, is now being researched for its “oomph” power for men.
Researchers are now trying to determine if the Kucing Galak plant is safe for consumption.
The plant, which grows well anywhere, may be an alternative to Tongkat Ali and ginseng.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said research had begun in a mini bio-technology centre in Sungai Batu Pahat near here under a RM2mil grant from the Federal Government.
“Initial research shows that each time a cat smells or eats the plant, its sex drive increases. We want to research the medicinal value of the plant with a view of introducing it for consumption,” he said.
“We are curious why the plant causes the cats to moan and groan,” he told a press conference after the swearing-in of 15 Kangar municipal councillors yesterday.
Shahidan said initial research showed that the herbal plant was suitable for those suffering from erectile dysfunction or low sex drive.
Therefore, he hoped that the plant could be a better alternative for such purposes.
“Currently, the plant has only been tested on cats. We need to see the reaction on people,” he said, adding that researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia would be assisting.
Shahidan said the state government would also be allocating RM2mil for research on cultivating fruits such as dragon fruits and grape.

PCA hopes more cancer patients will benefit

Daily Express: Kota Kinabalu: The Palliative Care Association (PCA) of Kota Kinabalu hopes to see more advanced cancer patients and their families benefitting from its free financial, medical and counselling assistance.
But it needs continued support from the public to achieve this, either by joining as active volunteers at its day-care service centre or contributing any amount to assist in funding its operational cost which amounts to at least RM200,000 per year.
Its President, Sr Morna Chua, said as a non-governmental organisation, PCA depends almost completely on volunteers to help them provide for much needed services like medical advice and therapy.
PCA has so far have about 80 registered volunteers but only about 30 are actively involved in providing day-care services at its centre located along Jalan Penampang-Kota Kinabalu, near the Chemistry Department building.
But due to the anticipated increase in the number of patients seeking their palliative care services, from the present number of about 40 -50 patients received by their day-care centre at one time, she said the need to have more active volunteers has increased.
Last year, the centre provided services for a total of 153 patients of whom the majority were adults aged between 40-70. This is an increase from slightly over 100 patients they registered at the centre in the year 2004.
"As a volunteer, you will give your time, attention, effort and expertise with no expectation of compensation ?your efforts are repaid in a 'currency' which has no value in the financial market, that is love ?" said Chua.
She said when she and the other senior volunteers first started PCA in 1995, all of them were just volunteers who got together during their free time.
"We began in 1995 with home visits under the Home Care programme for cancer patients to support the Palliative Care Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH)," she recalled.
They officially registered as the Palliative Care Association of Kota Kinabalu in June 1998. And they were able to employ two full-time nurse co-ordinators in 1999 and 2000 to help oversee the Home Care programme.
Chua said they moved into their current premises in 2002, and then managed to start a day-care centre with the dedicated services and efforts of their volunteers.
She is nevertheless happy that their core group of volunteers, mostly women comprising professionals and housewives who were with them in the beginning are still continuing to render their service and share their experiences and expertise with their junior volunteers.
"For some people, a great day is a day spent at the beach with friends. With others, it is a day spent indoors with a good book. The common thread here is that the day is spent doing something that the person loves or spent with someone that the person loves," said Chua.
"That essentially captures what we try to provide to our patients and beneficiariesËe aim to fill their days with love."
"Our patients are the reason why PCA is here. Our volunteers are the reason why PCA is so effective. And public support is the reason why PCA is able to continue providing our services for free to those in need," she said.
The public can also help the association by contributing to its 6th annual charity dinner and concert to be held at Magellan Wing of the Sutera Harbour and Spa here on Mar 29.

Oral Cancer Detected Late Despite Preventive Programmes

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- Even though many countries have preventive programmes for early detection and down staging of oral cancer, the disease is still being detected at stage three and four, which is considered as a very late stage, a senior researcher said.
"This is because oral cancer is a major problem in the majority of Asia Pacific countries and the cost to bring out the preventive measures and conducting research are still an obstacle that limit the method to detect it earlier," said the Director of Oral Cancer Research and Coordinating Centre (OCRCC) Universiti Malaya (UM) Prof Dr Rosnah Mohamed Zain.
She told Bernama after the launching of the International Conference on Oral Cancer in The Asia Pacific: A Regional Update and Networking at the Faculty of Dentistry, UM here today.
At least 70 representatives from 18 Asia Pacific countries attended the three-day conference beginning today and would be held until Sunday.
She said many researches were mainly done in the developed nations with few concentrating on the developing countries but some had also been using materials from the developing countries as part of a collaborative research.
"This is where efforts on international networking to conduct research and find a prevention method with limited sources of cost are important where such collaboration would enhance and train the oral surgeons, clinicians and scientists in concerns of oral cancer that would be useful to prevent the disease," she said.
Dr Rosnah said in many countries, risk factors for the Asian region might be similar and yet cancer incidence differed possibly due to the varied composition, method of usage and the dosages of the risk habits such as smoking, and betel quid chewing.
"Other than the habitual risk factors, the genetic susceptibility and other inherent genetic factors may further influence the oral cancer development," she said.
Meanwhile, Dr R.Sankaranarayanan from Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum, India, Dr R. Sankaranarayanan in his paper entitled "Oral Cancer Screening" said primary prevention of tobacco and alcohol control, and early detection were important control measures.
He said it was crucial as the disease is the eleventh most common cancer in the world and eighth most common in the developing world with 274,000 new cases and 146,000 deaths occurring annually around the world in the year 2002, of which two-thirds were observed in developing countries.
Director of Oral Health Division, Ministry of Health, Datuk Dr Wan Mohamad Nasir Wan Othman, who also presented a paper, said the National Cancer Registry (NCR) data in 2003 reported that the incidence of oral cancer in Malaysia was 5.2 per cent of 100,000 population and ranked 12th and 13th as compared to other types of cancer.
He said screening and early detection should be continuously done to the high risk communities as well as the involvement of other health care providers and further efforts were needed to extend the screening programme.

Sultan Ismail Hospital Is Safe For Use, Says Health Minister

JOHOR BAHARU, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- The Sultan Ismail Hospital in Pandan near here, which was closed in September 2004 due to a fungus attack, began operation in stages Thursday.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the hospital was in satisfactory condition and had begun operations with the opening of the first phase involving the out-patient service, haemodialysis clinic and specialist clinic.
"Almost 82 per cent of the defects, including the fungus attack, had been rectified by the appointed contractor who gave a three-year guarantee," he told reporters after visiting the hospital Friday.
Present was Johor Acting Health Director Dr Daud Abdul Rahim and the hospital director, Dr Mohamad A. Majid.
Dr Chua said the remaining 18 per cent involved minor defects which could be repaired in three months.
He said the hospital's Emergency Unit, Operating Theatres, Intensive Care Unit, Intensive Coronary Care Unit and Catering Division would be fully operational end of the year.
Shortage of staff, especially specialists and medical officers, was the main reason for the hospital opening in stages, he said.
"Of the 124 posts for professionals, only 18 have been filled and the problem is expected to be solved by October."
He assured the public that the hospital, which specialises in radiotherapy and oncology treatment and plans to be made a centre for cancer treatment for the southern region under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, was safe for use.

Free thalassaemia blood screening

NST: Form Four students will get free blood screening for thalassaemia, a possibly fatal genetic blood disorder, later this year.
The screening, to be done by the Public Health Department, is aimed at early detection of the disorder which affects the production of haemoglobin, that results in severe anaemia.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek confirmed tonight that a pilot project would be carried out in the Federal Territory, after which the programme would be extended to other States.
For a start, the screening will be available to some 200,000 Form Four students nationwide.
It was announced last year that the Health Ministry had a RM22 million allocation for 2006 to handle free screenings, as well as to tackle the disease through education, treatment and a national registry.
Federation of Malaysia Thalassaemia Societies president Ramli Mohd Yunus, who is also a member of the National Thalassaemia Prevention and Control Steering Committee, said that Form Four students were selected for the tests because they did not have to sit for any major examinations and therefore their studies would not be interrupted.
"At that age, most of them do not have permanent partners yet, and can be counselled on the risks and implications if they are carriers or suffering from thalassaemia minor," he said.
Three to four per cent of the population are thalassaemics. Most are classified as carriers or suffering from thalassaemia minor.
If both father and mother are carriers, there is a 25 per cent chance that their child will have thalassaemia major.
The disease must be treated with blood transfusions and Desferrioxamine, a chelating agent to remove excess iron as a result of the transfusions.
Ramli said thalassaemia major required lifelong treatment of regular transfusions to boost haemoglobin levels.
"The red blood cells, which help carry oxygen, in sufferers are short-lived. As a result, they suffer from severe anaemia," he said, adding that the symptoms included pallour, sleeping difficulties and poor appetite, and could lead to the enlargement of organs such as the spleen and liver.