Can the World Truly Be Free of Fear of Cancer in the Next 25 Years? Experts Believe So

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

On 5 September 2023, Siemens Healthineers hosted Creating a World Without Fear of Cancer: A Critical Dialogue, a panel discussion for local healthcare experts and leaders to share their thoughts on whether the world can indeed be free of fear of cancer within the next 25 years.

This may seem odd at the surface as cancer cases continue to rise—indeed, the number of cases in Malaysia is projected to double by 2040!

However, we are also seeing a rise in technological innovations that allow for more precise and earlier detection of cancer, as well as more effective forms of treatment through customized therapy that capitalizes on recent breakthroughs in genetics, immunotherapy, and more.

Hence, it is possible that, over the next 2 decades, we will see a shift from cancer as a ‘death sentence’ to a manageable long-term or chronic disease with higher survival rates. In other words, a world without fear of cancer.

We managed to get a front row seat at this panel discussion, and we’re pleased to share the highlights with you.

WHO’S AT THE PANEL DISCUSSION?
  • Fabrice Leguet, Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers Southeast Asia
  • YB Dr Kelvin Yii, Special Advisor to the Health Minister
  • Serena Yong, CEO of Regency Specialist Hospital
  • Professor Ricky Sharma, Global Head of Clinical Affairs at Varian
  • Ranjit Kaur, former President and current board member of Reach to Recovery International (RRI)
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PANEL DISCUSSION
FEATURED EXPERT
YB DR KELVIN YII LEE WUEN
Special Advisor to the Minister of Health
  • “The National Strategic Plan for Cancer Control aims to make cancer prevention, management, and control accessible and affordable through partnerships with stakeholders,” says YB Dr Kelvin Yii. “The goal is to reduce the cancer burden, promote understanding of cancer, encourage prevention and early diagnosis to alleviate patient fears.”
  • The backbone to this effort is the Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) that involve strategic partnerships between government and private hospitals.
  • Current, most of the medical innovations for cancer diagnosis and management are centred around private hospitals, thus putting them out of reach of many Malaysians, especially those in the B40 group.
  • Through PPP, efforts such as government hospital patients getting follow-up treatments at private hospitals can be made possible while still at a reasonable cost partly funded by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
  • Dr Kelvin admits that funding is a significant challenge at the moment.
FEATURED EXPERT
PROFESSOR RICKY SHARMA
Global Head of Clinical Affairs
Varian Medical Systems
  • “Cancer is a disease that can evolve and mutate to evade treatments,” Professor Ricky Sharma states. “The importance of patient data cannot be understated, as well as patient experiences of treatment from country to country.”
  • He underscores the importance of using patient data to deliver a personalized patient experience. “It has to be from a holistic point of view,” he elaborates. “We need to be asking important questions from the patients’ perspective: ‘Is treatment accessible? Are patients being treated with the respect they deserve? How and where are clinical decisions being made and the treatments being administered?'”
  • In light of the objectives set by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, such as the digitalization of all their healthcare facilities by 2030, Professor Ricky Sharma believes that this would allow for more accessible healthcare to people of all economic status, regardless of location.
  • For example, he cites the use of a virtual cockpit, which allows a healthcare professional to deploy customized treatment plans, analyze and provide results of imaging tests, etc to multiple hospitals without having to physically travel to those places. This would save time and improve productivity and efficiency.
  • Furthermore, digitalization of the medical workplace would allow for more flexible work hours for the staff, which is an effective way to reduce burnout. He and Ranjit Kaur bring out the fact that the medical profession has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and this move to digitalization would help reduce the prevalence of burnout and mental issues that could help reduce such tragedy.
FEATURED EXPERT
FABRICE LEGUET
Managing Director
Siemens Healthineers Southeast Asia
  • Fabrice Leguet believes the next step in comprehensive cancer care will be to move beyond today’s fragmented cancer care landscape towards a more integrated approach.
  • He cites the shift of cancer screening from tertiary hospitals to general practitioners’ clinic as an example of such an approach. Having screening services available to clinics, especially at more rural areas of Malaysia, would go a long way in increasing the number of cancer cases detected at an early stage and, hence, the chances of better treatment outcomes and fewer deaths.
  • “By partnering with healthcare providers, we accelerate the transfer of knowledge in oncology across clinical, technical and managerial fields and fast-track the adoption of integrated innovative technologies across the continuum of cancer care,” he says.
  • “While we leverage our access to global best practices and the latest technological innovations, we take a ‘fit for purpose’ approach, where solutions are adapted to the local context in close collaboration with our partners in the region,” he adds.
  • He further says, “Every strategic partnership, every technological innovation, and every collaboration with policy makers will bring us one step closer to creating a world without fear of cancer.”
FEATURED EXPERT
SERENA YONG
Chief Executive Officer
Regency Specialist Hospital
  • Serena Yong shares that the private medical healthcare sector welcomes the partnership with the Ministry of Health via PPP programmes.
  • “By integrating insights from different fields, we can achieve more diverse and effective outcomes,” she states.
  • “Patient well-being at the heart of our mission,” she goes on to add, “so this partnership expedites the integration of connected health solutions, ensuring swifter access to care. Moreover, it facilitates the expansion of teleconsultation services and the implementation of predictive analytics on a broader scale, ultimately contributing significantly to our patients’ journey toward improved health outcomes.”
FEATURED EXPERT
RANJIT KAUR
Former President and Current Board Member
Reach to Recovery International (RRI)
  • In spite of technological advances, Ranjit Kaur reiterates the importance of community support and holistic approaches that emphasizes the patient’s emotional well-being alongside their medical treatments.
  • “In a world where technology drives improvement in various aspects of our lives, we must also prioritize empathy, timely care access and comprehensive support systems for patients, not only in Malaysia but worldwide,” she says. “Each patient journey is often daunting and worrisome, but by paying greater attention to these details, we can help individuals look beyond their diagnosis and find confidence in their ability to overcome cancer.”
  • Given that the oncologists in Malaysia are still concentrated in urban areas such as the Klang Valley, Ranjit highlights the efforts of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to provide very affordable lodging for families that have to travel to these urban areas for a family member’s cancer treatments. She calls for the Malaysian government to look into providing more similar assistance and services to enable Malaysians from outside of urban areas that are traveling long distances for cancer treatments.
  • She and YB Dr Kelvin Yii agree that the government of Malaysia should prioritize the Ministry of Health in the yearly budget. Ideally, the Ministry of Health should be getting the most, if not the lion’s share of, the annual budget to allow PPP programmes to make healthcare treatments, especially for cancer, accessible to all Malaysians regardless of race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

Asia Pacific Women’s Cancer Coalition Releases Important Data on Women’s Cancers

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

The Asia-Pacific Women’s Cancer Coalition recently launched a report called Impact and Opportunity: The Case for Investing in Women’s Cancers in Asia Pacific.

WHAT’S IN THE REPORT?

Published by the Economist Impact and supported by the pharmaceutical company Roche, this report presents a detailed examination of the burden of women’s cancer, specifically breast and cervical cancer, in 6 countries in the Asia Pacific region: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The report includes detailed snapshots of the breast and cervical cancer burden, incidence, and mortality in each of the 6 countries mentioned above. Readers will access the following information:

  • Current cancer care capacity status
  • Existing policies and planning
  • Prevention and screening measures
  • Diagnosis and resource capacity
  • Quality of treatment and access
  • Levels of awareness and education about breast and cervical cancer

The report furthermore identifies the gaps and opportunities for relevant stakeholders to improve the provision of assistance to women dying from these cancers every year in Asia Pacific.

THE MALAYSIAN SNAPSHOT

The full-size images may not display properly on certain desktop devices due to technical limitations.

If you experience this issue, to get the full-size image (warning: these images are huge), click on each thumbnail and then save the image or open it in a new tab.

THE REPORT IS ONLINE—READ IT HERE!
Click here for the full report at the Asia-Pacific Women’s Cancer Coalition website. The link leads to a PDF file.

First Large-Scale Diabetes Cohort Study Launched in Malaysia

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

On 10 July 2023, the Seremban Diabetes (SeDia) Cohort Study, was officially launched by Duli Yang Maha Mulia Yang Di Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir in Seremban.

PURPOSE OF THE SeDia COHORT STUDY

This study was launched to holistically explore all the factors involved in the development of diabetes as well as the complications experienced by people with diabetes in this country.

THE HISTORY OF THE STUDY

The genesis of the SeDia Cohort Story began on 17 May 2022 when the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the International Medical University signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of this study.

The research protocol of the study received the approval of the Medical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC) on 17 March 2023.

OVER 12,000 PARTICIPANTS SIGNED UP TO AID INVESTIGATION

This SeDia Cohort Study will cover a period of 12 years.

The first important step now is to obtain data that is socio-culturally relevant to the local community. So far, over 5,000 patients and over 7,000 of their family members have voluntarily registered as part of the Diabetes Registry of Klinik Kesihatan Seremban.

The investigators will use digital systems and data infrastructure to collect these participants’ personal and medical information.

Blood samples will also be obtained from these participants for genetic profiling, to study individual predisposition to diabetes and, for people with diabetes, their predisposition to complications and response to medications as well as physical and dietary interventions.

These participants will be followed regularly, with the process of data collection conducted every 3 years over the next 12 years.

Additionally, details of the participants’ life events, such as hospital admission and deaths, will be collected and updated every year.

STUDY HOPES TO IMPROVE DIABETES PREVENTION & MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA

Using the data obtained from these participants, the investigators will study and analyze the complex web of factors that contribute to the development of diabetes and its complications.

These factors include genetics and family history of diabetes to lifestyle and environmental factors, dietary regimes, physical activity, socio-economic levels, and healthcare delivery.

The investigators believe that the understanding of these complex factors and the connection between them would enable us to uncover optimal strategies for diabetes prevention and treatment.

Such strategies would enable implementation of evidence-based policies and programmes to address the escalating burden of diabetes in Malaysia.

ACCESS WILL BE GRANTED TO LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS

To establish the SeDia Cohort as a study of national significance, local and international researchers will be granted access to SeDia Cohort to conduct further analysis and studies, subject to approval of the MREC.

FUNDING INFORMATION

The SeDia Cohort study will be funded through public funds, which includes contributions from corporations and individuals.

Medical Professionals Galvanize to Tackle Obesity Pandemic in Malaysia with Release of Revised Clinical Practice Guidelines

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

We’ve all read about it and probably memorized the statistics by now: Malaysia is among the heaviest countries in Asia, if not the world. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is also a high prevalence of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and others that are linked to obesity.

AN URGENT IMPETUS TO CURB THE OBESITY PANDEMIC IN MALAYSIA

Obesity is classified as a chronic or long-term disease. As such, Malaysian healthcare professionals have banded together in their commitment to provide Malaysians with the best treatment options and accessibility to these treatments.

A milestone in this commitment took place on 9 June 2023, with the release of the 2nd edition of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obesity.

The clinical practice guidelines are jointly published by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, the Malaysian Endocrine & Metabolic Society (MEMS), the Malaysian Society for the Study of Obesity (MASO), the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association (MDA), and Family Medicine Specialists Association of Malaysia (FMSA)—a multidisciplinary collaboration comprising endocrinologists, dietitians, and more.

The launch of the clinical practice guidelines was officiated by Dr Mohd Ridzwan Shahari, the Deputy Director of Medical Development Branch of the Medical Development Division, representing Dato’ Dr Asmayani Khalib, Deputy Director-General of Health (Medical) of the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

AN UPDATED BLUEPRINT OF NEW & ROBUST STRATEGIES TO PREVENT & MANAGE OBESITY

The initial edition of the clinical practice guidelines was released in 2004. With almost 20 years since then, much had changed when it comes to prevalence of, attitude towards, and management approaches for obesity.

As Dr Nurain Mohd Noor the President of MEMS, puts it: “Overweight and obesity in Malaysia is growing with every passing year. Based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey, in 2011, the prevalence was already at 44.5%, and in 2019, it has risen to a staggering 50.1%, whereby half of the population is now classified as overweight or obese.”

As such, the revision of the existing clinical practice guidelines is most timely and necessary. Professor Dr Norlaila Mustafa, Chairperson of the CPG Development Committee, reveals that the committee attracted experts from diverse field—endocrinology, psychology, dietetics, sports medicine, family medicine, paediatric endocrinology—to revise the existing guidelines to incorporate breakthroughs and advances that offer promising solutions in the last 20 years.

Some of the revisions and expansions include:

  • Expanding the range of recommended medications and medical procedures to treat obesity.
  • Updates on medical nutrition therapy to introduce successful and effective changes to a patient’s diet.
  • Emphasis on psychological interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, to motivate patients into adopting and maintaining lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy weight.

With regards to the third point, Prof Dr Norlaila brings up tools include the Binge Eating Scale, which helps to identify individuals with binge eating disorder, ‘SMART’ strategy that aids in a patient’s goal setting, and problem-solving techniques such as ‘IDEAL’ to support patients when faced with setbacks in their weight management journey.

A NEW BASIS FOR BODY MASS INDEX

A key issue raised during the launch was the need for a lower cut-off point for diagnosis of overweight and obesity among Asians.

This is because the current body mass index or BMI system was initially based on the physiology and fat composition of Caucasians.

Asians, on the other hand, typically have shorter height and higher body fat percentages. Research has shown that the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other weight-associated chronic diseases tend to rise for Asians at a lower BMI point.

Hence, based on evidence gathered from research on Asians, the following BMI categories are recommended for use in Malaysia:

BMI CATEGORY
23 to 27.4 kg/m2 Overweight
27.5 kg/m2 and above Obese
A FOUNDATION FOR A ROLLOUT OF IMPROVED PREVENTION & MANAGEMENT OF OBESITY PROGRAMME IN MALAYSIA

Prof Dr Norlaila shares her hopes that the release of the revised Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obesity will become a primary cornerstone for treatment and prevention, as well as health awareness programmes in Malaysia.

She reveals that future plans include making weight management and obesity treatment services available in more primary healthcare points such as general practitioners, educational talks and programmes in schools, and more.

Interested healthcare professionals can download a digital copy of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obesity (2nd Edition) at the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia here (link opens in a new tab).

The First Ever Virtual HIV Clinic In Malaysia Is Now Open!

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

On May 17, 2023. Malaysian digital health and e-prescription provider DOC2US and the Malaysian AIDS Council officially launched the first ever Virtual HIV Clinic in this country.

Associate Professor Dr Raja Iskandar Shah Raja Azwa, President of the Malaysian AIDS Council, said, “It is great to see a significant increase in telemedicine and virtual platforms available for medical consultations for persons with or at risk of HIV post-COVID.”

ABOUT THE VIRTUAL HIV CLINIC
  • It provides accessible, equitable, and inclusive healthcare to people living with HIV and key populations through technology, in line with UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3).
  • It offers free medical consultations on HIV or STD-related matters through teleconsultations with licensed and board-approved doctors.
  • Allows PLHIV and key populations to obtain self-test kits, lab test referrals and e-prescriptions for medication.
HOW TO ACCESS THE VIRTUAL HIV CLINIC

Download the DOC2US telehealth app from either the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, Huawei App Gallery, or the DOC2US website (link opens in new tab) for desktop use.

OPENING HOURS

The clinic operates every Wednesday from 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm.

How Technology Can Grow & Improve Our Healthcare Ecosystem

WORDS IRIS CHIN

FEATURED EXPERT
IRIS CHIN
Sales Director
Wistron Medical Technology Malaysia

Malaysia’s healthcare system is underinvested, overburdened, and has faced increasingly urgent calls for improvements to our national healthcare policies and strategies.

While public concern surrounding COVID-19 has largely fizzled out, the pandemic has brought to light the fractures in our public healthcare system.

This includes specialist shortages, chronic under-funding, and the need to future-proof our health infrastructure to alleviate the burden borne by hospitals.

BUDGET 2023 YET TO ADDRESS POLICY FOCUS IMBALANCE

Budget 2023 has allocated RM36 billion to strengthen the capacity of public health services. However, this has yet to address the imbalance in policy focus between hospital care and primary care. Primary care involves extending beyond healthcare facilities to continue serving a patient’s medical needs, such as through treatment and rehabilitation.

With the proper investment and development, primary care has the potential to reduce the overall cost of care and to make positive health outcomes more accessible to all Malaysians — which is why more needs to be urgently done to grow the local rehabilitation industry.

WHY GROW THE LOCAL REHABILITATION INDUSTRY?

Based on my experience in expanding primary care, rehabilitation departments tend to have the smallest budget allocation or be the most neglected in the eyes of hospital management. Some hospitals may not even be equipped with a proper setup for patient rehabilitation treatment.

But in truth, rehabilitation is—and this cannot be stressed enough —an incredibly crucial step in the recovery process.

I would go so far as to say rehabilitation can do something that traditional medicine or operational procedures would not be able to: empowering patients to live with a changed body and independently manage their health condition while recovering.

This is especially important in cases such as brain injuries (where rehabilitation can come in the form of speech and language therapy), impaired movement and flexibility, patients of advanced age, or cancer and stroke survivors.

CHALLENGES TO THE GROWTH OF THE REHABILITATION INDUSTRY

The main issue currently plaguing the industry is accessibility.

Rehabilitation services are often provided only at high-cost specialist centres in urban areas, often with long waiting lists and long waiting times too. This also indirectly means that there are fewer trained rehabilitation professionals compared to other types of medical caregiving.

Even when rehabilitation services are available, patients face high out-of-pocket expenses as they are billed on specialist hours. Rehabilitation programmes are also less commonly covered by medical financial support such as insurance plans. Referral pathways to rehabilitation services are affected by this, preventing the industry as is from growing and patients from accessing the support they need.

Taking into account the country’s ageing population, there is a greater need now than ever for rehabilitation to share a greater burden of care with healthcare facilities at large.

To fill these gaps and drive primary care growth more quickly, I believe we need to look at a game-changer that can help lower barriers to rehabilitation and make it more easily accessible — a role that technology and robotics has already started to play.

INTEGRATING ROBOTICS INTO REHABILITATION

Contrary to the name, robotic rehabilitation doesn’t mean that it removes the quintessential human element of care. Instead, it comes in the form of robotic devices that patients can wear or use during rehabilitation programmes, complementing the instructions and advice of trained physiotherapy professionals.

This technical support, so to speak, is a game-changer for rehabilitation for a number of reasons.

Not only does this open up opportunities for more treatment options, it is also easier to make global technology more readily available to a larger number of people—as compared to a mad rush to train rehabilitation specialists or accommodate geographical restrictions.

At the same time, it is a cost-effective way to offload partial tasks from physical therapists. They would have more time to meet or assist particularly complex cases, applying their knowledge to specific rehabilitation programmes that may need more specialised input.

In sum, advanced technology-assisted rehabilitation has the potential to more quickly shift the focus to growing primary care within Malaysia.

With robotics, we are now able to bring global rehabilitative technology directly to the people who need it most—with portable devices that are not only available in specialist centres but also community clinics in non-urban areas.

With increased access also comes increased awareness among the general population, which can play a significant role in improving overall health literacy and the everyday Malaysian’s perception of physical therapy.

We already have the demand for rehabilitation. A little nourishment with the right talent, policies, and funding could be all it takes to lead a new and improved rehabilitation industry within Malaysia’s medical ecosystem. It is high time we harness that potential.

Read All About It: Drug Control Authority Recalls a Cough Medicine!

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

FEATURED EXPERT
LIM EN NI
Chief Pharmacist
Alpro Pharmacy

Recently, the Drug Control Authority under the Ministry of Health Malaysia issued a circular on the cancellation and product recall of pholcodine, an opioid medicine that is used in adults and children for the treatment of non-productive or dry cough. It is also used in combination with other active substances for the treatment of symptoms of cold and flu.

In Malaysia, you’ll need a doctor’s prescription to obtain pholcodine.

You can read more about the recall at the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency website here (link opens at a new tab).

According to Lim En Ni, this recall is due to a possible drug interaction with neuromuscular blocking agents.

WAIT, WHAT ARE NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING AGENTS?

These are medications that are commonly used for general anaesthesia during medical surgeries.

There are a few types of neuromuscular blocking agents, but generally, they prevent normal transfer of information through nerves at your neuromuscular junction.

This keeps you from moving the skeletal muscles connected to the affected neuromuscular junction, hence the use of these medications as anaesthesia.

SO, WHAT DOES PHOLCODINE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE AGENTS?

Lim En Ni explains that people that take pholcodine-containing products in the past 12 months are at risk of experiencing anaphylaxis should they also receive neuromuscular blocking agents.

“Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction,” she says.

ANAPHYLAXIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER
  • It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you’re allergic to.
  • When you experience anaphylaxis, your immune system will release chemicals that can cause your blood pressure to experience a sudden drop. Also, your airways to block and you will experience problems breathing normally. You will also typically experience weak blood pulse, skin rashes, nausea, and vomiting.
  • You will need an injection of epinephrine to stabilize your condition and then immediately proceed to an emergency room for quick treatment. Delays in getting treatment can lead to death!

WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THIS MATTER

En Ni advises the following:

  • If you have purchased the medication but have not consumed it, you can return it to the pharmacy or healthcare facility that you obtained the medication from.
  • If you have used pholcodine in the last 12 months, visit a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to help you prepare a medication list to show your surgeon or doctor should you need to undergo surgery. 
  • If you’re not sure whether you have taken pholcodine or your medicine contains pholcodine, consult a pharmacist for help.

How Blockchain Technology Can Improve Malaysian Healthcare

WORDS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TS DR AFIZAN AZMAN

FEATURED EXPERT
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TS DR AFIZAN AZMAN
School of Computer Science
Faculty of Innovation and Technology
Taylor’s University
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY UNBLOCKS LIMITATIONS IN MANY INDUSTRIES

Created in 2008, blockchain technology is a decentralized ledger that can be used to verify and trace multi-step transactions in healthcare, retail, supply chain, financial industries, and more.

Having reduced compliance costs and speed-up data transfer processing, users can also confirm secured transactions using this technology without the requirement for a central clearing authority.

Closer to home, Malaysia started its efforts in blockchain technology in 2015, with the Securities Commission (SC) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) as important parties in the movement.

Moving forward, the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) has said that Malaysia would be adopting blockchain by 2025 and many banking institutions are requested to explore and adopt this technology into their financial systems.

CURRENT PROBLEMS IN THE POST-COVID-19 HEALTHCARE SECTOR 

Privacy issues when it comes to medical data

From a healthcare perspective, every healthcare institution treats medical data as a highly privacy-sensitive element. The thought of giving patients control of access to their records and the exchange of health data between institutions raises the risks of data exposure and opens up issues around trust and security.

However, currently the problems of the medical record system include a lack of security, difficulty in transferring medical records between multiple healthcare institutions due to system complications, human errors when recording, storing, and transferring patients’ data, and unwanted tampering of data.

Indeed, post-COVID-19, Malaysia for one has been dealing with issues related to the healthcare system. MySejahtera turned into a national scandal after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) revealed that the COVID-19 contact tracing mobile application had been developed for the government without a contract with the application developers.

Inefficiencies of an outdated medical record system

When medical records are mixed-up, not up to date or stored incorrectly, this can severely endanger the well-being and health of a patient.

Hence, the inefficiency of an antiquated medical record system will surely jeopardize the patient’s transfer process between different medical institutes due to complications with the patient’s medical data exchange.

These issues can lead to more serious issues down the line

These issues can become a stumbling block that contributes greatly to even bigger, unfavourable problems such as heavy monetary losses to healthcare institutions due to complications with patient’s medical data, which can lead to legal consequences.

HOW BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY CAN ADDRESS THESE ISSUES

Ensures medical data integrity and privacy 

Blockchain’s distributed ledger technology in healthcare makes it easier to:

  • Transfer patient medical records securely
  • Improve healthcare data security
  • Control the medication supply chain
  • Aid genetic code study in the medical field

It is known that the MySejahtera application had infused blockchain technology into its system during its conceptualization. The application could have functioned better had it covered the whole process ranging from user registration, vaccines supply-chain, contact to Pusat Pemberian Vaksin (PPV), medical officers, and more.

Help address major shortages in medications

The private general practitioner (GP) clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals in Malaysia suffered major shortages of various prescription and over-the-counter medications since last May, due to COVID-19 lockdowns in Shanghai, China, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

More than an acute problem, the extraordinarily severe drug shortage in Malaysia this year revealed the need to boost the country’s medicine security for future international issues in the global pharmaceutical supply chain, as Malaysia is a net importer of pharmaceutical products.

Blockchain technology can help with medicine shortages through proper analysis at hospitals. Through this data analysis with untampered data, it can help to solve the issue in the pharmaceutical supply chain by establishing proof of ownership. Before reaching patients, drug ownership changes from the manufacturer to the distributor, and then to the pharmacist by easily cloning Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. Using blockchain’s ability, more features can be periodically added to the chain.

Aid in improving overwork and toxic working culture in hospitals

The issue on the over workload and toxic working culture in public hospitals also can be solved if the Ministry of Health integrates digital innovation into its systems. Many manual processes can be automated and data transfer from one doctor to another can be updated timely at their fingertips, fostering a favourable environment between patients and doctors.

LOOKING AHEAD

There are several processes and new regulatory procedures related to blockchain that need to be standardized and coordinated.

As a catalyst for change, Malaysia should look into this as a core pillar to move the needle forward. Blockchain technology is ready, and so are we.

MIASA Launches Young Advocates for Mental Health Programme on International Women’s Day

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

In conjunction with International Women’s Day, the Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA) hosted a half-day event at Royale Chulan, The Curve (Kuala Lumpur) on March 11, 2023.

TRANSCENDING ALL BOUNDARIES: BE REVOLUTIONARY

The theme of International Women’s Day this year, ‘Transcending All Boundaries: Be Revolutionary’,  calls for the championing of efforts that will empower women in spite of continuing challenges faced across many sectors of society.

The Founder and President of MIASA, Puan Anita Abu Bakar, outlines the different barriers faced by women due to various cultural and societal norms, which are further compounded and exacerbated for those who have a particular disability or struggles with their mental health.

“When women find it hard to talk about difficult feelings, they tend to internalize them,” she says. “This can lead to depression, eating disorders, and self-harm.”

She shares that past statistics indicated that around 1 in 5 women faces a mental health challenge such as depression and anxiety.

“So, today, we want to let every woman know that there is help, there is support, there is recovery when facing mental health issues. No one has to struggle alone. You don’t have to struggle alone,” she asserts.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS ACROSS ALL GENDERS, BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES DON’T DISCRIMINATE 

While MIASA champions and supports the efforts to empower women across various social and political sectors of life in Malaysia, the association also is well aware that mental health issues do not discriminate based on one’s gender.

Hence, to achieve the goals and objectives of the association, Puan Anita highlights that broad discussions of gender stereotypes and gender equity should not be restricted to only barriers faced by women.

“In our work within the mental health field in particular, we have a front-row seat to witness the harmful effects gender stereotypes can have not only on women but men too, namely when it comes to expressing one’s feelings. For example, we know that many young boys are implicitly taught to believe that they need to ‘man up’ and that crying is a sign of weakness for example,” she explains.

“So let’s take this opportunity to acknowledge those barriers and boundaries as well, and ensure that all of us, man and woman alike, work harmoniously together to ensure gender equity from all sides,” she concludes.

LAUNCH OF YOUNG ADVOCATES FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMME TO ACHIEVE GENDER EQUITY THROUGH A ZERO-STIGMA GENERATION 

This inaugural programme from MIASA will build on the importance of building a generation free of stigma and discrimination—the zero stigma generation.

The MIASA Young Advocates for Mental Health programme is a 6-month programme that provides a platform for young people to:

  • Learn about mental health and mental health conditions
  • Understand the stigma and discrimination around mental health
  • Acquire qualities and skills of an effective advocate
  • Receive access to the different resources that support people struggling with mental health issues.

“It is a programme that also goes beyond acquiring knowledge; it provides participants hands-on experience with mental health peers through the shadowing sessions,” Puan Anita further elaborates.

For more information on MIASA and its mental health services as well as programmes, you can visit their website by clicking here (link opens in a new tab).

Expert Coalition to Educate Malaysians & Prevent Another COVID-19 Surge

PRESS RELEASE
COVID-19 IS STILL A THREAT

As we welcomed 2023, China reported a huge spike in daily COVID-19 cases during the end of year holiday seasons 2022.

After a period of pandemic fatigue and indifference, the event sparked sudden and short-lived fear and caution among the global as well as Malaysian community.

The news triggered some Malaysians to be up in arms, calling for a ban on travelers from China and reinforcement of pandemic SOPs such as the mandatory wearing of mask in public areas.

Nonetheless, the interest soon died down as other headlines made their way in the news.

It appears that it is only when crises are about to hit our shores that we react.

In fact, as highlighted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), we need to always be prepared and cannot afford to be reactive.

On January 27, 2023, it announced and reminded member countries that COVID-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern.

WHO compared 28-days data between Dec 5, 2022 to Jan 1, 2023 and Jan 2 to Jan 29, 2023.

It found that although the number of cases reported decreased by 78%, the number of deaths increased steeply by 65%.

This result is mainly due to the large wave of cases and deaths in the Western Pacific Region, especially in China.

WHO further states that the numbers may be an underestimation due to the reduction in testing and delay in reporting in many countries.

STAY VIGILANT & PROTECT THE VULNERABLE

3 years into the pandemic, Malaysia has reported more than 5 million cases and over 36,000 deaths.

In 2021, it became the main cause of death in Malaysia, overtaking heart disease.

The risk of death is higher among:

  • Those above 60 years
  • Individuals with underlying health conditions
  • Unvaccinated individuals

According to MOH data between Jan 1, 2022 to July 31, 2022, 75% of COVID-19 deaths were among individuals 60 years and above, and 86% of deaths were among those with at least one underlying health condition .

Compared to the first year of pandemic, we are now more prepared to curb COVID-19 due to advancement in preventive measures, rapid diagnoses, and management tools such as vaccination, rapid test kits (RTK) as well as early treatment with antivirals.

These tools are important particularly to prevent severe COVID-19, keeping individuals especially those with risk factors away from hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and ultimately death.

Nonetheless, these tools will only be useful if they are being utilized optimally.

While Malaysians were quick on the uptake of primary COVID-19 vaccination doses, the uptake of booster doses are very poor with only 49.7% uptake of the 1st booster and a mere 1.6% of the 2nd booster (as of Feb 7, 2023) .

While no concrete data is available, there are good reasons to believe that due to pandemic fatigue, people are now less likely to test and seek treatment for COVID-19.

It is also important to note that antiviral treatment needs to be taken within the first 5 days of symptom onset. Thus, speed is of the essence.

We cannot risk another surge of COVID-19 globally or locally as it would put a toll on our healthcare system and risk overwhelming it.

In addition to COVID-19, we are also facing the threat of other respiratory illnesses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

As it stands, we are currently experiencing overcrowding in Emergency Departments.

Hence, it is crucial that we answer the calls of WHO and the Ministry of Health Malaysia to continue urging the public especially those who are in the high-risk groups (older persons, individuals with underlying medical conditions) to take precautions against COVID-19.

OUR CAMPAIGN

The Malaysian Society of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases (MyICID) in collaboration with the Family Medicine Association Malaysia (FMSA) and Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) are organising an educational campaign themed COVID-19: QUICKLY TEST & TREAT.

Our objectives

This campaign aims to urge the public especially individuals who are at high-risk as well as their family members to continue protecting themselves and others from severe COVID-19 by:

  • Getting primary and booster doses
  • Testing immediately upon onset of symptoms
  • Seeking early treatment, within the first five days of symptoms

Our campaign’s panel of experts

  • Dr Alif Adlan Mohd Thabit Infectious disease physician
  • Dr Ang Peng Peng Infectious disease physician
  • Dr Suriani Sulaiman Family medicine specialist
  • Dr Balachandran S Krishnan General practitioner
THIS IS A PUBLIC COMMUNITY MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY