Health & Living

Globally, an estimated 58 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus infection. But experts often speak about the missing millions when it comes to hepatitis, people - adults and children alike - who are unaware that they are living with viral hepatitis. In Malaysia, latest data from 2019 estimated that more than 400,000 individuals have been infected with the hepatitis C virus, but only about...

You can now test for COVID-19 with a simple saliva test kit at home. And with cases at an all-time high, this will make it easier for people in the community to get tested if they have symptoms or come into contact with someone who had tested positive. We find out from Institute for Medical Research’s Head of Virology unit, Dr Ravindran Thayan, how the test works. Image source: Shutterstock&...

We return with our monthly mental health clinic with consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan. In this segment, we address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues, with a special focus on anger. Image source: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catch up with one of Malaysia’s top experts to find out why immunisation, especially the regular jabs against childhood diseases, is more important than ever. And get tips on how to make the vaccination visits less frightening for your kids! This is an edited recording of the 4th BFM Health & Living 2021 webinar* – this webinar series is presented by AIA, enabling Healthier, Longer...

Catch up with one of Malaysia’s top experts to find out why immunisation, especially the regular jabs against childhood diseases, is more important than ever. And get tips on how to make the vaccination visits less frightening for your kids! This is an edited recording of the 4th BFM Health & Living 2021 webinar* – this webinar series is presented by AIA, enabling Healthier, Longer...

All eyes are on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and how the world’s top athletes are performing amid a global pandemic. But what happens when these elite athletes get injured, and what’s the process of diagnosing and managing their injuries as quickly as possible? We explore the role of medical imaging, such as ultrasound and MRIs, in managing these injuries.   Image source: Shutterstock&...

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic had hydroxychloroquine, which has since been debunked as being effective in preventing and treating COVID-19. This year, it’s ivermectin. Is ivermectin – a veterinary anti-parasite medication – the miracle drug it’s touted to be? Or should it be approached with extreme caution by everyone, including healthcare practitioners and politicians?...

The media is reporting record-breaking numbers almost on a daily basis, whether it’s in terms of new COVID-19 cases or deaths. However, the positivity rate – derived from the number of positive cases out of total tests conducted – suggests that the true number of COVID-19 cases in the community could be far higher. Add to the mix the highly risky Delta variant, and it&r...

In the second episode of our three part mini-series, consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harjeet Singh is back to look at the process of recovering from a knee injury. We check in with Jimmy, a knee surgery patient, on his recovery process, the physical rehabilitation that is needed, and where he is on the road to returning to the futsal court. Image source: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener...

Doctors are bound by the Hippocratic Oath, which spells out several ethical standards, and is where the principle of “First do no harm” is derived from. Other healthcare professionals today are also bound by codes of ethics and conduct to ensure that they carry out their duties in providing care to people without causing harm to them. But there are often situations where conflict arise...

Hospitals, quarantine centres and COVID-19 Assessment Centres in the Klang Valley have been bearing the brunt of an unending increase in COVID-19 cases. With healthcare staff from other parts of the country being re-deployed to provide support, the pandemic has taken an enormous, sustained toll on frontliners all over the country for the past 17 months. What is the short- and long-term impact on t...

As more cases and deaths related to COVID-19 are reported every day, healthcare frontliners – whether junior or senior, contract or permanent – are clocking in exhausted, having borne the brunt of the pandemic since it began. On this show, we feature the voices of healthcare workers on the frontlines, who have spoken to BFM over the past 17 months about what they face every day and how...

On 26 July, a group of junior contract doctors in Malaysia are planning to strike as a sign of protest, until their demands for permanent positions and clear criteria for the permanent appointments are met. Response to this movement has been divided, so we check in with pharmacist and public health researcher Dr Mark Cheong, and co-founder of Malaysian Philosophy Society Dr Tee Chen Giap, to find...

Amid record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 cases, the COVID-19 Assessment Centres (CAC), particularly in the Klang Valley, have been dealing with thousands of people every day. Among those reportedly waiting in the long queues are families, sometimes with young children in tow. This shows us that more children are getting affected by COVID-19, either as patients or indirectly when their family membe...

As our COVID-19 vaccination numbers continue to be ramped up, everyone’s following our progress closely while waiting for their turn to be vaccinated. However, a few recent reports of “empty syringe” incidents have understandably gotten a number of us worried about whether we have gotten vaccinated or not. This came after a few individuals who had recorded themselves during the v...

The pandemic has resulted in many of us pressing the pause button on in-person social interactions, which has become more difficult as the pandemic drags on. While we try to find other ways to cope, it’s not as straightforward for people with dementia, as social interactions are important in helping them retain memories and slowing down their cognitive decline. Consultant geriatrician Prof D...

The COVID-19 pandemic has spared no one in terms of the mental health impact – whether it’s anxiety over the disease, or stress and anguish related to financial uncertainties. People are crying out for help: Befrienders KL received more than 20,000 calls from January to June this year, compared with 32,000 for the whole of 2020. For many, the cries for help have turned to extreme measu...

Singapore is preparing to live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease, just like the flu, while the UK plans to scrap regulations on face masks and physical distancing by 19 July. What does it mean to live with COVID-19, and when would it be appropriate for Malaysia to consider this approach? Prof Tikki Pangestu, Visiting Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singap...

Have you ever wondered why sometimes when you bump into strangers, you feel like you’ve seen their face before? Or maybe you’ve noticed that you’re better at remembering people’s faces than a friend of yours? We discuss these on our monthly Brain Waves segment, as we look at a recent study that found new memory cells linking face perception to our long-term memory, what sci...

You might have heard that autism is more common among boys than girls, and the ratio that is often quoted is four boys to one girl. But is there a gender bias that’s resulting in girls and women going undiagnosed? Here to help us break down these biases is Dr Dhanya Pillai, a consultant clinical psychologist. Image source: Shutterstock  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

For patients with end-stage kidney disease, receiving a kidney transplant can make a significant difference in their quality of life. We speak to Teoh, a kidney transplant recipient, on her story of having to undergo a kidney transplant, and what receiving a kidney from a family member has meant to her.   This is part of our Gift of Life series to raise awareness on living-donor kidney transp...

 If you had or need a kidney transplant, what does life after your surgery look like? We speak to consultant nephrologist Dr Ng Eng Khim and consultant urologist Dr Murali Sundram from Sunway Medical Centre on the recovery process after a kidney transplant, and what you need to do to keep your new kidney healthy.   This is part of our Gift of Life series to raise awareness on living-dono...

A kidney transplant offers hope for a better quality of life for people living with kidney failure. But the idea of a transplant can be daunting. At what point will your doctor have that conversation with you, and who can donate a kidney to you? To address patients’ fears and concerns about the transplant process, we’re speaking to consultant nephrologist Dr Rosnawati Yahya and transpl...

Dengue is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne disease in the world. In 2019-2020, the number of reported cases and deaths reached record levels, not only in Malaysia but across Southeast Asia. We find out about Malaysia’s progress in curbing dengue, especially during this pandemic, from Prof Dr Lucy Lum, University of Malaya. We also speak to Prof Cameron Simmons, Director of the Insti...

We return with our monthly mental health clinic with consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan. In this segment, we address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues. This episode looks at burnout, especially as we are still under the first phase of the full MCO 3.0, amid high cases of COVID-19.   Image source: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...