Health & Living

The Federal Court recently ruled that private hospitals can also be held liable for medical negligence, meaning that not all the responsibility falls on the doctor alone. What does this mean for the private healthcare system and thus on patients’ healthcare experiences in the private sector? We find out from Charlaine Chin, medico-legal lawyer and Treasurer of the Medico-Legal Society of Malaysia....

The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 shows that 1 in 2 adults are either overweight or obese, and 1 in 2 adults have abdominal obesity, which causes various metabolic problems. Prof Dr Rohana Abdul Ghani, Consultant Endocrinologist, and President of the Malaysian Obesity Society, joins us to unpack the multifactorial ecosystem that affects people with obesity, and how to better support th...

Anita Abu Bakar had always been a high achiever. But throughout childhood, and her early career as an investment banker, she describes feeling an emotional void. Instead, she would frequently experience anxiety, panic and loneliness. It was only a matter of time before she reached breaking point. On this episode of ‘ Because Feelings Matter ’, Anita Abu Bakar describes the excruciating pain that c...

In Malaysia, it is estimated that between 1.6% and 4.6% of children have ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactive disorder. But statistics do not tell us the reality of the struggles faced by these children, when it comes to managing their daily routines, making friends, coping with school, and being accepted by people around them. We speak to Nik Norezreen Nik Adnan, a parent of a primary-age child...

Women conform to different societal norms as they go through various phases of life, and the perimenopause years are no different. With menopause on the horizon, women in their 40s are forced to set aside their sexual desires and needs, and are not able to talk about sexual dysfunction in their relationships. In this candid conversation with consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Hoo Mei Lin...

Organ donation offers a new lease on life for recipients of organ transplants. But in Malaysia, we have a critical shortage of organ donors and thus low transplantation rates. Dr Mohamad Zaimi Abdul Wahab, a transplant nephrologist from Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Vice President of the Malaysian Society of Transplantation joins us to dive into the challenges in raising organ donation and transplant...

Almost 50,000 people in Malaysia live with end-stage renal disease. The Ministry of Health has warned that by the year 2040, there could be more than 100,000 Malaysians on dialysis if nothing is done to stop the rising cases of kidney failure in the country. In conjunction with World Kidney Day, we revisit the burden of chronic kidney disease in Malaysia. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio....

Why do some people remain so sharp as they age, while others are less resilient to the effects of memory loss and dementia? Why are some still able to function normally even when their brain shows that there is damage or pathology that could lead to cognitive decline? It might come down to something called cognitive reserve, and that’s what we’ll be exploring on this episode of Brain Waves, with n...

When you undergo surgery, the anaesthesiologist plays a very important role in ensuring your safety and comfort before, during and after surgery. This is the medical doctor who specialises in anaesthesia, pain management, and critical care medicine. Consultant anaesthesiologist Dr Gunalan Palari Arumugam joins us to share why he chose this career path, and what he has learned about patient care fr...

The midlife can be both thrilling and terrifying for women in their 40s - this is the time for major changes, such as children going into adolescence or university, changes in relationships or careers, or the death or illness of parents. We look at how the perimenopause period affects women's mental health, and why it's important for women to have a strong support system, including her partner and...

In conjunction with International Women’s Day on 8 March, Health & Living is exploring the barriers that women in underserved communities in Sarawak and Sabah face in the context of cancer care. We speak to Stage 3 breast cancer survivor Jacqueline John, Vice President of the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon (also known as the Kinabalu Breast Cancer Support Association), who overcame tremendous personal b...

In conjunction with International Women’s Day on 8 March, Health & Living is exploring the barriers that women in underserved communities in Sarawak and Sabah face in the context of cancer care. Breast and cervical cancer are common cancers among women that can be detected early and yet doctors on the ground in Sarawak still see many women being diagnosed in later stages, especially in underse...

The fabulous 40s are a phase of life for women to look forward to, but what happens when their hormones have a somewhat different idea? Perimenopause, the years leading up to menopause, has its own hormonal, physiological and psychological effects, which means that women go through an extended transition where they struggle with physical symptoms and emotional ups and downs, for several years. In...

The abdominal muscles - where your six-pack is (or should be) - are two flat and parallel muscles separated by a connective tissue called linea alba. Some people - for instance, women post-delivery - find that their linea alba can become separated, in a condition called diastasis recti. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh joins us to take a peek at the linea alba, and to help us underst...

What is it like to grow up without being able to hear sounds and speech? Picking up hearing loss among babies and children is crucial to ensure that their development is not affected. In conjunction with World Hearing Day, we speak to Dr Farah Liana Lokman, an ENT specialist, and Fatimah Sazari, an audiologist, both from Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM to understand hearing loss among children...

In the last two months, several developments involving migrant workers have put a spotlight on their right to fair living and working conditions. In one case, it was revealed that several hundred Bangladeshi workers had been left stranded and jobless after being duped by their recruitment agency. Separately, the Negri Sembilan and Johor governments have also announced that migrant workers in their...

Parenting is already hard enough; raising a child with a rare disease? Most of us can’t even begin to imagine the challenges, sacrifices, and heartbreak that the parents go through. In conjunction with Rare Disease Day, we speak to Dr Nurul Izzaty Hassan about her daughter’s diagnosis of neurofibromatosis and her own journey of balancing her daughter and family’s needs with her own mental well-bei...

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, recently reiterated that the next pandemic is not a matter of if, but when. His warning was merely the latest of what experts have been saying for years that pandemics will only become more common and that we must be prepared for the next Disease X, a new pathogen that we have yet to discover. On today’s show, I’m...

For many parents of children with rare diseases, the journey from discovering their child’s symptoms to finding a definite diagnosis is often long and arduous. Parents often go from doctor to doctor to figure out what is happening to their child, and because of the nature of these diseases, most doctors aren’t able to quickly pick up on the nature of the disease. But what if we can introduce scree...

The heart is one of the most vital organs in our body, working day and night from the moment we are born to pump blood throughout our body. But for a small number of individuals, from the moment they’re born, their hearts don’t work like they should because the structure of the heart is abnormal. These individuals are diagnosed with congenital heart disease. On this episode of NCD Chronicles, we h...

The Drug Control Authority has recently given conditional approval to Qdenga, a dengue vaccine that could be given to those aged four and above. With dengue continuing to be a threat to the Malaysian population, will a vaccine be the game changer that we need? What do we know about the safety of this vaccine and will we face challenges with vaccine hesitancy this time around? Consultant urologist...

Prostate cancer is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it can develop without any symptoms. In fact, almost 70% of cases in Malaysia are only diagnosed in the late stages. What does this mean for men who receive a prostate cancer diagnosis? How far have we come in treating the cancer itself but also supporting these men with their mental health? Find out from consultant urologist Dr P...

When a child is significantly quieter than their peers, we say the child is shy or a wallflower. When a child stumbles over their words when telling you about something that happened in the playground, we smile indulgently, and simply help the child finish their story. In these two scenarios, we could be missing out on important signs that the child has a developmental language disorder. Consultan...

In a society which highly emphasises outward appearances, it can often be easy to be dissatisfied with our body image. For adolescents, this pressure can feel immense as their bodies also go through rapid physical changes during puberty. On top of that, with rising peer pressure and the influence of social media, are our teenagers growing up in an environment where they find it harder to love thei...

In our open clinic segment, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Shilpa Nambiar joins us to shed light on the female reproductive system, from the vagina to the ovaries, and everything in between. We explore periods, discharge, vaginal hygiene, infections, cysts and fibroids, and much more.  Image credit: Shutterstock Inc. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.