Health & Living

The critical issue of shortage within the nursing profession - serving both public and private hospitals - has carried over across several administrations. In February this year, then-Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin said MOH would conduct a detailed analysis and study on the shortage of nurses in government hospitals and clinics. Barely a week into the new administration under Dato’ Seri Anwa...

Oral cancer is one of the most treatable cancers if it’s detected and treated early. But with its signs and symptoms easily mistaken for other conditions how can we improve diagnosis of oral cancer? What if I told you that we have an app for that? To share more about the MeMoSA app and how it will be tested in the community setting, we are joined by Prof Dr Cheong Sok Ching, deputy chief scientifi...

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth recently announced that he plans to take time off acting after discovering that he has a genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Headlines screamed of the “shocking revelation” and an “ominous health warning” from the genetic test results, which found that Hemsworth’s DNA contains two copies of the APOE4 gene. What is the APOE4 gene, how is it linked to Alz...

On International Anti-Corruption Day, we look at why healthcare - as a profession, and as a system - falls prey to corruption, when its very core value is to protect and provide care to people. Dr Khor Swee Kheng, independent health policies specialist, and Alan Kirupakaran, Committee Member of Transparency International Malaysia, joins us to explore examples of healthcare corruption and abuse in...

Shortly before the 15th General Election, Malaysia’s government under then-Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced its intention to close down the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which handles protection needs for asylum seekers and refugees in the country. With GE15 now behind us, it remains to be seen whether Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s adminis...

Positive, negative, margin of error - these are among some of the terms you might hear when you need a medical test to diagnose (or rule out) a health problem. What is the science behind these terms? When might a positive actually be a negative? Can medical language be more contextual, without losing its scientific accuracy? Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh joins us for a lesson on l...

Psoriasis is often mistaken as just a skin disease. With little awareness of psoriasis as a chronic autoimmune disease that can potentially have systemic effects, many people may continue to go undiagnosed and undertreated.  On this episode of NCD Chronicles , we shine the spotlight on the experience of living with mild and severe psoriasis, and the challenges of navigating treatment options...

An ageing population means more of us are familiar with dementia, and it’s easy to understand dementia from a clinical perspective, in that it leads to impaired cognitive and physical abilities in that individual. But what would it mean to look at dementia through a disability lens? How does that also help us better understand and support care partners for people with dementia? In conjunction with...

It is World AIDS Day today, and this year’s theme is “equalise”, one word that serves to remind us of the inequalities which continue to perpetuate the AIDS epidemic. If we want to end AIDS as a public health threat in Malaysia, those gaps will have to be closed. We speak to Raymond Tai, Acting Chief Operating Officer at PT Foundation, to find out how we can improve access to tests and treatments...

Imagine going for hip or knee replacement surgery and walking out of the hospital that very same day. This could now be possible, thanks to technical and technological advances, leading to early recovery and fewer post-surgical complications. We get consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dato’ Dr Siva Kumar Ariaretnam, from Subang Jaya Medical Centre, to explain how he has refined his surgical technique,...

Earlier this month, the Malaysian Meteorological Department had issued an early monsoon warning that the annual North-East Monsoon that lasts from November to March could see higher rainfall this year. As we’ve already seen floods happen in several parts of the country in the past month and amidst fears of a similar disaster as we saw in the Klang Valley last December, we speak to consultant emerg...

It’s almost a week since the 15th general elections, and finally, the political drama seems to be coming to an end with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim being sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia. While we wait for the new cabinet to be announced, the new health minister will have a monumental task ahead: maintaining and reforming the healthcare system to be able to withstand increasing needs f...

 The Singapore Marathon is unparalleled in Southeast Asia for its global participation, world ranking and experiences for runners. This year, for the first time, the 50,000-strong crowd will include a group of neurodivergent runners from Malaysia with special intellectual needs, who are part of the SpecialMe. MY Run Club . Founder of the club Bibo Low joins consultant developmental paediatric...

We listen to music when we’re feeling down, lonely, or stressed, but also when we’re happy, joyful, and positive. Music isn’t just notes and rhythms, but an emotional experience that validates and challenges our moods. But can music go beyond the act of simple listening, to being used in therapy for mental health issues? Datin Dr Ang Kim Teng, Hon Secretary General of the Malaysian Mental Health A...

In April 2021, a 17-year-old Malaysian student posted a TikTok video expressing her horror over a rape joke made by her teacher. Within a month, everyone knew Ain Husniza’s name, and her subsequent activism in starting the #MakeSchoolASaferPlace social movement. But for her outspoken advocacy, she has been socially ostracised, cyber-bullied, and body-shamed. On this episode of Because Feelings Mat...

The COVID-19 pandemic drove home an important lesson: that the smallest organisms can be the deadliest. Not only are they highly fatal, they are also incredibly adept at evading the antibiotics and antimicrobials that we have in our relatively pitiful arsenal of drugs. In conjunction with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18-24 November), Prof Stephen Baker, molecular microbiologist and Director...

As expectations over healthcare reform increase in the lead-up to GE15, we take a step back from the Malaysian context to look at healthcare systems in various countries across Asia. How do these systems achieve universal health coverage, especially when faced with common challenges like NCDs, the ageing population, and disparities in access to healthcare? On the eve of GE15, Sejal Mistry, Regiona...

When it comes to cancer, doctors always emphasise the importance of being early - early in diagnosis, and early in treatment. But how early is early, and what difference does it make to someone diagnosed with prostate cancer? Consultant clinical oncologist Dr Jennifer Leong joins Dr George Lee to look at the value of early genetic testing, early treatment, and early intensification of hormone trea...

Some of us might think that COVID-19 is behind us, but with cases recently spiking and more people being admitted into hospitals for severe COVID, how exactly are we doing with COVID-19? We speak to infectious diseases physician Prof Dato’ Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, who is also a member of the National Recovery Council, to find out what needs to be done to keep COVID-19 in check.  Image Credit:...

 In our increasingly ageing population, more of us will live longer, and are more likely to require some form of surgical procedure, whether minor or major. While surgical techniques and medical care have advanced tremendously to ensure that surgery is safer for older patients, it doesn’t mean that these procedures are without risk. On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we speak to Dr Dhanupriya...

There’s no denying that we need to do more about mental health, but are our policies and politicians doing and talking enough about it? With GE15 looming, we take a look at whether mental health is mentioned at all in political parties’ manifestos, and what the next government must do to improve the landscape of mental health in Malaysia, with Hasbeemasputra and Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer...

The challenges of the overburdened, under-resourced public health sector in Sarawak are well-known. But in Malaysia’s two-tier healthcare system, private health facilities also manage a considerable bulk of patients. What challenges do middle-income patients face in terms of access to primary and specialist care, medical procedures, and the increasing costs of healthcare? Dr Kenny Yeap, COO and Me...

The rights and welfare of persons living with disabilities - often referred to as the OKU community - have long been sidelined in Malaysian politics and policies. As GE15 beckons and calls for reforms intensify ahead of the next government being formed, what are political parties and candidates offering to empower and support the OKU community without being tokenistic? What reforms are sorely need...

In conjunction with Genetic Counselor Awareness Day on 10 November - which is observed on the second Thursday in November each year - Yoon Sook Yee, certified genetic counseller and President of the Genetic Counselling Society Malaysia , joins us to share why genetic counselling is becoming increasingly important in modern healthcare, and the path towards training more genetic counsellors. Image C...

You’ve probably found yourself worrying a bit more than normal over physical symptoms you’re experiencing, or perhaps even going down a rabbit hole looking up your symptoms online or asking your doctor about it. In severe cases, this is known as health anxiety or hypochondria. But when is it normal to worry about your health and when it is causing you more problems? We speak to consultant clinical...