Health & Living

On the 25th of January this year, American climber Alex Honnold became the first person to complete a free solo ascent of Taipei 101. That meant that he climbed the 508 metre building with no safety gear - no ropes or harnesses. This wasn’t his first time doing such a thing either, as he rose to fame when he free climbed the El Capitan wall at Yosemite in the United States, which stood at 914 metr...

For this month’s open clinic, we’re asking a consultant ENT surgeon Dr Revadi Govindaraju how we smell and why the olfactory sense is so important in our daily life. We’ll also sniff out some disorders that may affect our ability to smell, and what are the ways to treat these disorders. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Mohd Farid Ariffin, the founder of Majlis Kanser Nasional (MAKNA), passed away on 14 January 2026, leaving a legacy of tireless advocacy and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of cancer patients across Malaysia. In conjunction with World Cancer Day, we look at how MAKNA has brought meaning to the lives of cancer survivors and their families. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

If you’re receiving radiation therapy for cancer, that radiation dose that enters your body isn’t just any standard dose or a matter of random happenstance. It has been calculated by a clinical medical physicist, who is also the person responsible for ensuring the radiation equipment is working optimally. On Humans of Healthcare, we speak to Dr Zulaikha Jamalludin, a Clinical Medical Physicist, fr...

You’ve probably heard or seen people say they’re “overstimulated”. But what does this actually mean? Isn’t this something that’s usually associated with neurodevelopmental disorders? We speak to clinical psychologist Shaleen Chrisanne about this. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’re playing pickleball, and you lunge and twist to hit the ball. That’s when you hear that dreaded ‘pop’ in your knee. The meniscus injury is a common injury that can occur during sports or even if you twist your knee joint while standing up. What kind of treatment do you require after this injury, especially if you don’t want knee pain or arthritis to develop years after surgery? We find out m...

Last week, the government announced that they’ll be rolling out a new base medical and health insurance/takaful plan in 2027, in line with a host of health reforms that are in the works. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Dr Muralli Munisamy, medical director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia and Mark O’Dell, CEO of the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia, to dive into wha...

When young medical graduates and doctors raise concerns about working conditions, stress levels, remuneration and low morale in healthcare, how much of this is due to mismatched expectations and poor career decisions? We find out why it’s important for aspiring medical students to understand what they’re really getting into, before they (or their parents) make career decisions that could have life...

Confinement practices have a special place among Malaysian communities, with different ethnic groups employing their own practices and beliefs for mothers after delivery. But we’re now seeing the mushrooming of modern confinement centres that offer mothers the convenience of post-partum care in a room-in facility, with a touch of pampering. How do mothers ensure that the services of these centres...

When former national artistic gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi reflects back on the 2016 Rio Olympics, she calls it “the best point of her career” - not because she made it, but because she didn’t qualify. On this episode of ‘ Because Feelings Matter ’, Farah talks about how she survived the bitter loss, and learned to overcome mental health struggles like body dysmorphia and immense psychological pre...

In 2024, Lim Shyang Guey, known fondly as SG, learned what it was like to be a caregiver when his wife was suddenly diagnosed with gallbladder cancer. She passed away after a brief treatment period, but SG has taken his grief and converted it into a meaningful purpose: to Run For Gold and raise funds for childhood cancer. Listen to how SG took on the role of caregiver, and how he is now continuing...

Last week, the United States rolled out its new dietary guidelines… and flipped the food pyramid. It’s not just upside down, but now also promotes the intake of more dairy, meat, and fats, and less carbohydrates. With the U.S. often looked to as a reference for health guidelines, we speak to dietitian Adele Wong about what people should take away from this and how our national dietary guidelines c...

All eyes were on the trade deal signed between American President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year, but what seemingly went under the radar was the implications the deal has in the field of medicine. Part of the deal included Malaysia “accepting prior marketing authorisation by the FDA as sufficient evidence” that medical devices and pharmaceutical products from th...

For a long time, the conversation on obesity has often been simplified to a lack of willpower. But as we start to see obesity as a chronic disease, it means recognising that for many individuals, their biology is working against them. So how do your hormones and genes shape how your body responds to food and stores fat? Here to help us understand that is consultant endocrinologist Prof Dr Roger Ch...

Parents are starting 2026 with no small amount of anxiety, as their children face increasing pressure to manage studies, relationships and online influences. They’re feeling helpless and lacking the social connectedness that would allow them to reach out for help in supporting their children. This month’s impact story is how one educator is supporting families by building a community for the paren...

Two numbers took the world by storm last year - six and seven. Kids were driving teachers up the wall, shouting “6-7” in classrooms. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer got in trouble after using it during a visit to a primary school. It became Dictionary.com ’s word of the year. Kids’ slang has been a big part of conversations in recent years, because of how quickly it tends to catch on, take over chi...

At the end of last year, the FDA in the United States announced that it has approved two new antibiotics for gonorrhoea, which has not happened since the 1990s. With consultant urologist Dr George Lee, we dive into why this was hailed as a milestone and what it means for treatment of this increasingly drug resistant infection, also known as super gonorrhoea. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystud...

In this month’s open clinic segment, we start by diving into how we hear, and explore some fun facts about our ears. Then, audiologist Darleena Aziz explains more about common hearing conditions, as well as prevention and treatment. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A multidisciplinary team at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre successfully performed a liver transplant on a four-month-old baby boy in November 2025. The baby, weighing just 6.2kg, was the youngest and lightest recipient recorded in the country. We speak to some of the surgeons and the anaesthesiologist from the team to find out why this was one for the history books, and how they hope to see tran...

Losing weight is rarely an easy journey, and the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications in helping people shed that weight has led to its popularity all around the world. But does that mean that these medications can be taken by anyone who is struggling with weight loss? And more worryingly, with some of these medications seemingly sold on e-commerce platforms, should you be buying them online? We spe...

What happens between the moment when a nurse or doctor takes a patient sample and when the results come back to you? Medical lab technologists work quietly behind the scenes and their work is vital in analysing samples from you and finding the answers that help doctors figure out what may be wrong. On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we speak to Harvinder Kaur for a peek into her work in the...

Earlier this week, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was hospitalised after he had a fall and fractured his hip. While he’s reported to be in a stable condition, falls are especially dangerous for older adults and he will remain in hospital for several weeks for observation. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by consultant geriatrician Dr Terence Ong to dive into why falls ca...

The increasing costs of healthcare and the squeeze on medical insurance will be weighing on the minds of all Malaysians this year. Consultant clinical oncologist Dr Mastura Yusof joins the Public Health show to discuss how cancer care has been affected by current practices of insurance companies and third-party administrators, and what practical solutions are needed to collectively address patient...

After a difficult year, 2026 will feel very different for children and their parents. Fears of school violence, social media pressures and the impact on mental health will continue to be of major concern for parents. In a global survey by Central Force International, it was reported that over half of Malaysian parents don’t actively pay attention to their children’s mental health on a daily basis,...

Much of what we know about dementia has come from research done in the global North, on Western populations and it has been incredibly vital to help us better understand dementia. Yet, it cannot simply be applied to our populations here in Southeast Asia, because of our distinct genetic profiles as well as cultural and environmental factors. On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we speak to Prof Dr T...