Health & Living

The development of Merck & Co’s oral medication to treat COVID-19 could make it the first pill that people can pop the moment they become infected. We speak to Assoc Prof Dr Sharifah Faridah Syed Omar, Infectious Disease Physician, University Malaya Medical Centre, about how the antiviral drug molnupiravir works, and how it could change the way COVID-19 is managed.   Listen to Part...

Following the tabling of Budget 2022 in Parliament last Friday (29th Oct), independent health policies specialist Dr Khor Swee Kheng joins us to discuss whether the health allocations are sufficient, and what they tell us about the priorities of the government in tackling COVID-19 and other urgent needs of our healthcare system.    Brought to you by Mah Sing; Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Lif...

Following the tabling of Budget 2022 in Parliament last Friday (29th Oct), independent health policies specialist Dr Khor Swee Kheng joins us to discuss whether the health allocations are sufficient, and what they tell us about the priorities of the government in tackling COVID-19 and other urgent needs of our healthcare system.    Brought to you by Mah Sing; Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Lif...

What exactly goes into planning a budget for health? With Budget 2022 being tabled today (29th October), we take a look into what the process looks like - who is involved, how long it takes and the nail-biting moments leading up to the announcement of the budget, together with consultant urologist Dr George Lee and MP for Gopeng & former Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Lee Boon Chye.  Broug...

Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious, but under-recognised lung condition. In Europe, it is the fifth biggest respiratory killer after lung cancer, COPD, pneumonia and COVID-19. We catch up with Dr Syazatul Syakirin Sirol Aflah, Respiratory Physician from the Institute of Respiratory Medicine, to find out why the condition goes under the radar in Malaysia, and how to help patients achieve better outcom...

Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘ Because Feelings Matter ’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental health issues. These stories aim to normalise conversations about mental health, and to show that it’s okay to struggle emotionally and psychologically, but more importantly, to reach out for help. This episode features Azam, who spiralled into depressi...

For women, the menstrual cycle is at the heart of the reproductive process. If you are having trouble conceiving, a look at your menstrual cycle, and any related problems, may provide valuable clues about your fertility issues and what you can do. Join Dr Nurhazinat Yunus, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, and Fertility Specialist, from TMC Fertility @ Thomson Hospital, to better unders...

For women, the menstrual cycle is at the heart of the reproductive process. If you are having trouble conceiving, a look at your menstrual cycle, and any related problems, may provide valuable clues about your fertility issues and what you can do. Join Dr Nurhazinat Yunus, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, and Fertility Specialist, from TMC Fertility @ Thomson Hospital, to better unders...

New research discoveries in health and medicine are the reason we have advanced. Without innovative research, we wouldn’t have antibiotics, vaccines, in-vitro fertilisation, or targeted therapies for cancer. Scientists continue to push the envelope and among the experimental research we see in the frontiers of science today include gene editing, stem cell research and artificial intelligence...

New research discoveries in health and medicine are the reason we have advanced. Without innovative research, we wouldn’t have antibiotics, vaccines, in-vitro fertilisation, or targeted therapies for cancer. Scientists continue to push the envelope and among the experimental research we see in the frontiers of science today include gene editing, stem cell research and artificial intelligence...

In December 2019, polio was detected in Malaysia for the first time in 27 years. In September 2021, the country declared the polio outbreak to be over. To commemorate World Polio Day on 24 September, consultant paediatricians Dr Selva Kumar Sivapunniam and Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin join us to share how the outbreak started in Sabah, how it was stamped out amid the COVID-19 pandemic and what...

Malaysia has now joined a handful of countries around the world that have begun giving out another round of vaccinations for people who have been fully vaccinated, and this began in Sarawak a little over a week ago. We’ve heard it being called both a “third dose” and a “booster shot”, but is there a difference between the two? And would needing this extra shot mean th...

We hear the words “gene therapy” and immediately many people may be fearful of what it means, that it would involve altering our genes, and thus who we are. But what does it really involve, and how might it change treatment in the future? We explore with neurogeneticist Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar from Universiti Malaya, and Assoc Prof Dr Cheah Pike See from the Department of Human Anatomy,...

More couples in Malaysia are having children only when they’re in their 30s and 40s, but age poses a challenge to fertility. We explore what are the options for couples trying to conceive, and what hope IVF can offer, with Dr Surinder Singh, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, and Fertility Specialist, from TMC Fertility @ Thomson Hospital. Image credit: Pixabay.com See omnystudio.c...

We often think that osteoporosis is a natural and expected part of ageing - that as we grow older, our bones will grow weaker and more brittle. But is that really the case? In conjunction with World Osteoporosis Day which is observed annually on 20th October, we take a look at how osteoporosis impacts quality of life, and more importantly, whether it can be prevented in the first place, from Dato&...

“We have to learn to live with COVID-19” is a phrase we’ve been hearing all too often these days. Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has reiterated that we need to reopen safely and to start treating COVID-19 as endemic. Our neighbour down south, Singapore, has stayed the course of reopening the economy, despite rising COVID-19 cases. Over in New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ar...

In conjunction with World Sight Day, this month’s open clinic segment features clinical optometrist Vinodhini Naidu to answer all your questions about low vision problems and other vision-related issues. Image credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve experienced 18 months of living through an infectious disease pandemic, but we’ve been living with the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases for far longer. Yet, we’ve struggled to effectively address NCDs over the decades, particularly at the policy, strategic and financing levels. Do we want to exit the COVID-19 pandemic, only to walk right back into a worse NCD ep...

During the strictest lockdowns of this pandemic, many of us felt the loss of something we had taken for granted - the freedom to move around in open spaces, for our mental wellbeing. In today’s Mind Matters, we look at how the physical and built environment impacts our mental health. We explore this link in the context of urban development, recreational spaces, and community initiatives, tog...

The spine is our body’s central support structure, but when you have scoliosis - where the spine curves abnormally - it can affect not only how you look but how you move around as well. With scoliosis often diagnosed in childhood, how will this impact the child’s growth? And what management will be needed into adulthood? We find out from Dato’ Dr K.S. Sivananthan and Dr Lim Sze W...

The spine is our body’s central support structure, but when you have scoliosis - where the spine curves abnormally - it can affect not only how you look but how you move around as well. With scoliosis often diagnosed in childhood, how will this impact the child’s growth? And what management will be needed into adulthood? We find out from Dato’ Dr K.S. Sivananthan and Dr Lim Sze W...

This year, World Mental Health Day on 10 October will be commemorated with the theme ‘Mental health care for all: let's make it a reality’. Despite great strides being made in awareness, what still stands in the way of ensuring everyone has access to mental health care? We find out from Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, Patron, National Alliance of Mental Health; and Anita Abu Bakar, Pres...

It is our third and last episode of our three part mini-series on the recovery process after a knee injury and surgery, together with consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harjeet Singh. We check in with Jimmy, a knee surgery patient, on what his progress is like about 4 months after his surgery, and we are also joined by Joerg Teichmann, a physical and sports therapist to shed more light on what happ...

We return with our monthly mental health clinic to address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues. This month’s show has a special focus on helping you to cope with the return to normalcy as COVID restrictions begin to ease.   If you need emotional support or just want to talk to someone anonymously, you can call Befrienders KL at 03 7627 2929. Image credit: f...

We’ve all done it - experienced a persistent headache, a twinge in the knee, or some chest pains, and headed straight to Google for answers. From the millions of search results that are listed, how many of them would be an accurate explanation of our condition? Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh takes us on a virtual tour of the misinformation that is available online, especially...