Health & Living

How are medical students being trained during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns have forced universities to shutter and lessons to be delivered virtually? Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh draws inspiration from a classic medical textbook, ‘The Closed Treatment of Common Fractures’, that has been made freely available by Cambridge University during this time. See omnys...

The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinical research in many universities and research centres worldwide. How are research institutions coping with the disruption, and how will they be able to stay on track in terms of funding and targets? Prof Dr Teo Soo Hwang, Chief Scientific Officer of Cancer Research Malaysia, tells us more about how cancer research has been affected, and how she plans...

World Immunisation Week falls on the last week of April every year, and this year, the theme is #VaccinesWorkForAll. We speak to Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim, Pro Vice Chancellor, for Research, at International Medical University, about Malaysia’s priorities when it comes to vaccination, with immunisation targets potentially being severely challenged by increasing vaccine hesitancy and the COV...

Now more than ever, smokers have been urged to quit smoking due to the possibility of increased risk of COVID-19. But how have smoking habits changed during the pandemic and the MCO? And how will habits also change during Ramadan? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back pain is a common problem and has been on the rise over the last few decades. With many of us working from home and exercising less during the COVID-19 outbreak, what kind of impact will that have on our back and joints? Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr John Alphonse Decruz from ParkCity Medical Centre tells us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic itself and measures taken to mitigate its spread has upended our lives for the past few months, and is expected to continue to impact us for months to come. So what impact will it have on our mental and emotional well-being? How will we cope (and change) in the long-run? We speak to clinical psychologist, Dr Joel Low. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2020 Olympics has been postponed to next year and many other sporting events and tournaments have also been cancelled or put on hold. Gyms and training centres are also shut due to the pandemic and the MCO, so how can athletes - both amateur and professional - maintain athleticism and their fitness during this time? And what happens if they don’t? Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harjee...

Due to COVID-19, parents everywhere are stuck at home with their increasingly restless and bored children. Everything has gone out the window: routines, discipline, studies and even eating habits! Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, Consultant Developmental Paediatrician, addresses the problems that parents are facing during the Movement Control Order. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COVID-19 can affect the lives of people living with HIV. We’ll look at how some people may be more vulnerable to being infected by COVID, as well as the impact of the Movement Control Order on their access to health and social services. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The low-income communities are the hardest hit by the restriction of economic activities under the Movement Control Order. Their lives are threatened by the loss of income and inability to support their families. How do these circumstances affect their mental wellbeing and how do they get mental health support when they can’t even put food on the table? See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Everyone is on the hunt for a drug that can effectively treat COVID-19. Will Malaysia find the answer when it participates in the global Solidarity trial, by the World Health Organization? We find out more from Dr Chow Ting Soo, Infectious Disease Consultant at Hospital Pulau Pinang, the principal investigator for the trial in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expecting a newborn is a joyous time for most families, especially if you’re first time parents. But what is it like to be pregnant and to care for a newborn during the COVID-19 pandemic? We speak to consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist Dr Premitha Damodaran to find out what parents should and shouldn’t be worried about. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we often hear that people with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms. So what are the concerns for people with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus? How will the current situation impact the treatment they need? We speak to Dr Cheah Chee Ken , consultant rheumatologist from Sunway Medical Centre to find out...

People with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease are more vulnerable to becoming severely ill if they get COVID-19. We speak to Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha, Deputy Director of the Non-Communicable Disease Section, Ministry of Health, to find out more about how to manage chronic conditions during this outbreak.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do frontline health workers face on a daily basis? How are they coping with their risk to exposure, as well as the daily stress and exhaustion? We hear from three frontliners at various levels of the healthcare system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a woman undergoes surgery to treat breast cancer, one of the biggest concerns is how the breast looks after that. Breast reconstruction surgery can rebuild the shape and look of the breast, which is important for a woman’s self-image and confidence. We find out more about breast reconstruction options from consultant breast surgeon Dr Ng Char Hong, from Subang Jaya Medical Centre. See...

With the country under the Movement Control Order, many families have been separated, for instance elderly parents living apart from their adult children or extended family. If you have an elderly parent or relative who is in need of nursing care, how do you ensure they are well taken care of, without exposing them to the risk of COVID-19? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 16th of March, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii found out that he had COVID-19 and was admitted for treatment at Sarawak General Hospital. What was it like being a COVID patient, and what did his experience reveal about our healthcare system? He joins us to share his story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the MCO ends, the big question is: what next? Do the lives of Malaysians go back to normal, in terms of work, studies, business and entertainment? Or will COVID-19 be around for the foreseeable future, forcing us into a new way of leading our personal and social lives? Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal, epidemiologist from Universiti Malaya, provides some possible post-MCO scenarios. See omnystudio....

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed great demands on the leadership of countries coping with the outbreak – both from the national perspective and that of the health authority. We’ve seen such varying responses from leaders like US President Donald Trump, UK’s PM Boris Johnson, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, China’s President Xi Jinping and of course, our own PM Tan Sri M...

 The elderly are already among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, and living in nursing homes puts them at even higher risk. So what can these facilities do to protect their residents during this pandemic? And what can we do as family members as well? We’re speaking to consultant geriatrician Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin to find out more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, several private hospitals have begun offering COVID-19 tests for individuals who want to be tested but don’t fall within the Ministry of Health’s criteria. To find out more about how private hospitals are offering these tests and how they’re carried out, we’re speaking to Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, president of the Association of Pri...

The Ministry of Health has continuously reminded Malaysians to stay active during the period of the Movement Control Order, but with gyms closed and parks off-limits, what can we do to stay active? We speak to Erik Tan, strength and conditioning coach from the National Sports Institute, to find out how we can motivate ourselves to exercise at home.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

The COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent Movement Control Order has made us all anxious, fearful and stressed. However, consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan has some advice to offer on how we can use this time as an opportunity to recalibrate our lives and start anew when the outbreak is over. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past weeks, we’ve been hearing about the struggles and risks that healthcare workers are facing, as they battle COVID-19 on the frontlines. But in a field where they have already been facing high rates of burnout, how are they coping in this current situation? We’re speaking to Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin, Consultant Psychiatrist from University Malaya Medical Cen...