Health & Living

For decades, dengue has been endemic in Malaysia and remains an ever-present threat all year long. But is it a threat that we still take seriously? We check in with Assoc Prof Dr Sharifah Faridah Syed Omar, infectious diseases physician with University Malaya Medical Centre on how we can ramp up public health measures to prevent surges in dengue cases, especially during the monsoon season. Image C...

As GE15 beckons, there is the possibility of a new Health Minister in the next government. How will new political leadership impact the implementation of health reforms - whether it’s health reforms that have been announced by caretaker Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, or Pakatan Harapan’s proposed National Health Reform Plan? Regardless of the respective coalitions’ promises, how do we future-p...

The process of recovery and rehabilitation following an injury can be a long journey - one that is sometimes made lengthier and more complicated by delays in the approval of medical claims. Following the first part, where we discussed the whys and hows of claiming for compensation from PERKESO and insurance providers, Dr Vickneswaran Mathaneswaran, Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Malaya;...

COVID-19 may be endemic, but that does not mean it’s harmless nor that the pandemic is over. As we gear up towards nomination day on 5th November and polling day on 19th November, we speak to infectious diseases physician Datuk Dr Christopher Lee to find out how political parties and candidates can campaign safely, and how we can enable voting to be done safely to avoid igniting yet another COVID-...

With the prevalence of chronic health conditions increasing, there is more to the burden than just what the individuals are going through. Behind the scenes, there are also the caregivers helping the patients to manage their condition, and providing emotional and mental support. But who cares for the caregivers? Consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan joins us to discuss caregiver stress...

When someone is diagnosed with diabetes, diet becomes a big question mark. What is the right diabetes diet? Is it true that rice and desserts go out the window forever? Poh Kai Ling, clinical dietitian from Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, addresses some of the biggest misconceptions about diet for people with diabetes, and how eating right could help them prevent a range of problems, from blindn...

 Stroke is one of the leading causes of deaths in Malaysia, as well as disability among stroke survivors. Because of that, a stroke has consequences that can last months and years, not only for the individual but their caregivers as well. On this episode of NCD Chronicles, we hear from Noor Aza Abd Aziz, more fondly known as Mama Aza, about her journey to recover since her stroke in April 201...

If you are involved in an accident, and suffer injuries that result in a disability, your ability to work and carry out daily activities could be affected. But this doesn’t mean you’re left without options. With proper rehabilitation, you can recover, return to education or employment, and move on in life. Financial support is crucial for the process of recovery and rehabilitation, but are people...

If you’ve been increasingly hearing about children being diagnosed with ADHD, it’s not because kids are eating too much sugar or spending too much time on gadgets. It’s because we’re getting better at recognising and understanding this neurodevelopmental condition, and how it affects different facets of children’s behaviours, learning and social skills. Yet, many myths and misconceptions about ADH...

Women in menopause tend to dismiss symptoms related to the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) such as bladder incontinence, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and bleeding during sex. In the final of a 3-part series on menopause, we speak to Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Premitha Damodaran, about the effects of menopause on vaginal, urinary and sexual functions, and why it...

When we hear speech therapy, some of us might think that it’s mainly for children with speech disorders, or for stroke survivors to learn how to speak again. But is there more to speech therapy, especially for older adults? On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we speak to speech-language therapist Tay Chia Yi to find out how speech therapy can help to improve the quality of life for older adults, an...

19th November will be the day that Malaysians head to the polls for our 15th General Elections. With the impact of COVID-19 still fresh in our minds, and an urgent need for healthcare reforms, will we see healthcare being a priority on political parties’ manifestos? Independent health policies specialist Dr Khor Swee Kheng joins us to look back on what we’ve achieved since GE14, and what’s on his...

A diagnosis of breast cancer still strikes fear in many women’s hearts. But Tham Lai Chee’s story of courage and optimism will lift the hearts of women living with breast cancer. She joins us along with consultant clinical oncologist Dr Matin Mellor Abdullah to share her breast cancer journey, in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Image credit: Rawpixel and Subang Jaya Medi...

We often associate osteoporosis - when bones become weak and brittle - with ageing, but there’s another facet to osteoporosis that is not discussed as much, and that’s menopause.  In the second of a 3-part series on menopause, we speak to consultant obstetrician and gynaeologist Dr Premitha Damodaran, and consultant rheumatologist Dr Yeap Swan Sim, to find out how menopause increases the risk...

Imagine you’re struggling with serious problems in your life that you can’t cope with, like relationship problems or losing your job. Perhaps you’re going through a mental health problem, like anxiety. You can’t get to a psychologist or psychiatrist, because there just aren’t any where you live, or because it’s too expensive to see one. In Zimbabwe, where there are only 18 psychiatrists in the cou...

Dr Ahmed Hankir wears many hats - psychiatrist in the UK National Health Service, survivor of psychological trauma, and author of ‘The Wounded Healer’ - which all link to his work in mental health advocacy and earned him the World Health Organisation Director-General's Global Health Leaders Award 2022. In this episode of Because Feelings Matter, he shares about his personal and mental health strug...

Mental health received a visible mention in the recently-tabled Budget 2023, with RM34mil allocated for the establishment of a National Mental Health Centre of Excellence, and RM413.58 million for the Mental Health and Psychiatry Program under MOH. Meanwhile, Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin has also announced that there will be a new helpline for mental health called Talian HEAL. Professor Da...

In 2020, Prof Ken Smith, Head of the Department of Medicine at University of Cambridge, was at the forefront of research in the University’s Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre when the pandemic broke out. We speak to him to get a glimpse of how the research groups in the Centre pivoted towards research on COVID-19, and how that research played a central role in the UK’s response to the pandemic. We a...

For years, the stereotype of women in the menopausal and post-menopausal period was that of ageing women past their prime and productivity. However, these views have become outdated, and will continue to change as we develop, and provide women with, more options to improve health and well-being in mid-life and beyond.  In the first of a 3-part series on menopause, we speak to Consultant Obste...

The Health & Living team speaks to Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO, Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy, and public health physician Assoc Prof Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, to examine overall health allocations in Budget 2023, and the gaps that remain unaddressed. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As children, we learn that touch is one of our five physical senses that we use to interact with our environment. But touch also plays an important role in our emotional and mental well-being. Consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan and social psychologist Dr Goh Pei Hwa join the show to discuss the importance of touch, and what happens when we are deprived of touch.  Image credit:...

The Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill 2022, which includes the hotly-debated Generational End Game proposal, is due to be tabled in Parliament tomorrow, after undergoing review with the Parliamentary Select Committee. Roslizawati Md Ali, President, Malaysian Women's Action For Tobacco Control And Health (MyWATCH), joins us to explore whether the proposal to ban the use, possession and sale of cigar...

How is the human skeleton affected by space travel? And why does it matter to the rest of us who may never see the inside of a space shuttle? A recent study answers the first question, finding that astronauts who spend long periods in space suffer damage to their bone structure, causing their skeleton to age prematurely by up to 10 years. To answer the second question, consultant orthopaedic surge...

There are more than 7,000 types of rare diseases, yet the interest and investment into rare diseases are often limited to a handful of more well-known diseases. For people living with rare diseases and their families, the journey from diagnosis to accessing treatment can take a huge emotional and financial toll. Ahead of the tabling of Budget 2023, we speak to Nadiah Hanim Abdul Latif, President o...

Earlier in the month, the International Society of Surgery - which represents over 3,000 surgeons across the globe - appointed its new president, Dato’ Dr Yip Cheng Har, making her the first woman to head this institution. Alongside consultant urologist Dr George Lee, we catch up with Dato’ Dr Yip to find out about her lifetime of work in breast cancer as a clinician and researcher, as well as her...