Health & Living

A survey in the UK shows that Gen Z parents find reading to their children boring. We speak to Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, Consultant Developmental Paediatrician and Eugenie Chan, who’s on the Board of Trustees of the Playcentre Library Association, to find out if younger generations of parents in Malaysia still read to their kids, and why parents should hold on to this practice (and their books) with...

Refugees in Malaysia live on the precipice of danger - fleeing persecution in their own country, while facing social and financial insecurity in a foreign land. Contrary to popular perception, refugees aren't given a free ride in Malaysia - they're subjected to the same rules and policies that apply to all foreigners, such as paying for medical treatment at government hospitals and clinics. We spe...

What does a person with complex PTSD look like? Just like you and me, it turns out. Shane’s bubbly personality hides the scars of abuse, low self-esteem and unrecognised dyslexia, but also, the steely determination to challenge everything that stood in the way of her recovery - stigma, discrimination…even her own suicidal thoughts. Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘ Because Feel...

For the first time, doctors have treated a baby boy born with a rare genetic disorder with gene-editing treatment that was tailor-made for him. This has been hailed as an exciting case because of what it means for patients who otherwise would have no other options. We speak to Prof Dr Thong Meow Keong, consultant paediatrician & clinical geneticist, to help us break down what this means for th...

Two in three Malaysian men above 40 are at risk of erectile dysfunction, but how many of them are open to talk about it, let alone seek medical help? 26 years after the blue pill was discovered to treat erectile dysfunction, consultant urologists Dr George Lee and Dr Arun Arunasalam Poraviappan discuss how much management has changed over the decades and how we can get men to speak up about not ge...

Hospitals are where we go to when we’re ill or unwell, but what if it becomes the place where someone is abandoned? In conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, this episode of Healthy Ageing explores the issue of institutional abandonment of older adults, particularly in hospital, the challenges that families face leading up to that moment, and how we can do better to support older adults...

General practitioners and the clinics they run in our communities are often the first point of contact for people when they fall ill. But many GPs have been speaking out about the challenges of running their clinics and continuing to offer quality care to patients when the cost of running the business keeps increasing yet their fees remain stagnant. With GP clinics affected by the broadening of th...

After SPM, what next? This is a big question for young people, with concerns about what kind of higher education to pursue, juggling self and parental expectations, as well as managing social and financial challenges. We speak to Valerie Tan, Senior Clinical Coordinator & Licensed Counsellor, Thrive Well, about how the KAMI Juara programme helps youths from B40 communities navigate these uncer...

What if your job could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease? A study done in the US found that for people who worked two very specific types of jobs: as taxi drivers and ambulance workers, their risk of developing the most common type of dementia was far lower than others in the population.  On this episode of Brain Waves, we dive into what we can learn about how one’s occupation could impa...

You’ve probably heard time and time again that it’s important to pick up cancers early, because it means your odds of surviving and living a good quality of life improves. But is there a one-size-fits-all test for all cancers? From physical exams to blood tests, imaging to biopsies, consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by consultant clinical oncologist Dr Nisha Shariff to dive into what th...

According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2024 on Nutrition, our nutritional status is abysmal. And that’s bad news, considering we also have the highest rates of obesity in the region and skyrocketing cases of diabetes. We explore some of the results of NHMS 2024, and what kind of policy changes would support improvements in nutritional intake and behaviours. Dr Tee E Siong, Immediate...

As states around the country announce complete bans on vape shops - or at the very least, consider it - will this be too little, too late? What kind of consequences would this have on our economy but also on our healthcare system? We speak to Dr Wency Bui, Senior Lecturer at the School of Business & Economics at Universiti Putra Malaysia Universiti Putra Malaysia to find out. Image Credit: Shu...

Every breath you take fills your body with oxygen, which is vital for every cell in the body to get energy. When something disrupts your respiratory system, the respiratory physician, or pulmonologist, is the specialist who comes into the picture to provide care. On Humans of Healthcare, Consultant Respiratory Physician Prof Dr Mohamed Faisal Abdul Hamid, from the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti K...

Following Law Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s suggestion to raise the retirement age to 65, the Ministry of Human Resources has confirmed that it will study the possibility of making this a mandatory policy. We speak to Professor Dr Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman, President of the Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society, and Professor Nathan Vytialingam, Honorary Fellow of the World Federation of...

University of Malaya’s Faculty of Medicine recently unveiled its Medical Museum, named in honour of Tan Sri Dr. Lim Wee Chai. We speak to Professor Dr Julia Patrick Engkasan, to find out more about the stories behind the museum’s collection of medical artifacts, historical instruments, and exhibits. Find out how to visit the museum here .  Image Credit: Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai Medical Museum...

In conjunction with Parent’s Day in June, our Counsellor’s Corner episode focuses on the struggles that parents face in juggling their responsibilities and balancing their mental well-being. Dr Nicole Chen, registered counsellor and President of the Malaysian Marriage & Family Therapy Association, joins us to answer questions from parents about managing stress, finding self-care, and learning...

Our healthcare system takes care of us when we’re ill, but the irony is that it’s also making our planet sick. Globally, the healthcare sector has a significant adverse impact on the environment, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and depletion of resources. Can we make healthcare greener, and in turn, avert the negative health consequences of the climate crisis? In conjunction wi...

Every time a new sports fad comes about, doctors and specialists brace themselves for a slew of new patients coming in with fresh aches and pains. We look at the kinds of trouble that people get themselves into when they dive into a new sport without proper preparation and techniques, with Dr Rajesh Singh, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Dr Sivalingam Raja Gopal, Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma &...

Bright colours, trendy designs, and cool flavours. E-cigarettes or vapes have been the new in-thing for a while, despite escalating warnings that they’re not the less harmful cousins to traditional cigarettes they’re touted to be. In fact, we’re now seeing the unique harms of vaping, especially among children. In conjunction with World No Tobacco Day this year, consultant urologist Dr George Lee i...

Many of us would still remember the incident earlier this year where a young boy died after he choked on a round gummy sweet. That incident sparked awareness among parents and the public alike about the risk of choking, especially among young children. To find out more about these risks and how we can prevent it, not just among children but adults alike, we speak to Dr Hardip Singh, consultant ENT...

Doctors predicted she wouldn’t live past two years, but six years later, she’s still thriving. Hear Iren Lau’s journey of living with ovarian cancer and how she overcame the odds and stayed strong for her family. We also hear from consultant gynaecological oncologist Prof Dr Woo Yin Ling about how far we’ve come in treating ovarian cancer.  You can find the Ovarian Cancer Society Malaysia on...

“I always knew you were different,” wrote Jian Goh in his comic book series ‘Once Upon a Miao’. He was referring to his mother, who had struggled with severe depression, mood swings and hallucinations since he was in primary school. He shares about the isolation and burnout that he has experienced as part of this dynamic with his mother, and how becoming a caregiver to her has increased his awaren...

Women’s sexual health is still considered a taboo subject in some segments of society despite how impactful it can be on women’s lives. On this episode of Ask A Doctor, we answer all questions on women’s sexual health that you’ve been too afraid to ask.  Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former US President Joe Biden has just been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that has spread to the bones. We get consultant urologist Dr George Lee to talk about how prostate cancer - typically believed to be a slow-growing cancer - can turn aggressive, and what treatment options can be offered to patients. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the difference between letting children play, and using play in therapy for emotional, behavioural, and psychological issues in young children? We find out from Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, consultant developmental paediatrician, and Raynette Soon, play therapist. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.