Health & Living

After the weekend to ruminate over the Budget 2019 announcement, we take a look at the promises made by the Health Ministry. Join us as we find out what it means for the public health sector for next year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. Who should have the right to dispense medications: doctors or pharmacists? This has been an ongoing debate in Malaysia. At the recent World Pharmacists Day, Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the issue of dispensing separation should be understood from the perspective of patient...

On the eve of the tabling of Budget 2019, we find out what the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Medical Association expect for next year’s healthcare allocation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A baby born below 37 weeks has a lot of hurdles to overcome. But with the right medical and nursing care, parental love and community support, we can give every premature baby a fighting chance to survive and to thrive. In conjunction with Prematurity Awareness Month in November, we speak to Dr Azanna Ahmad Kamar, Consultant Paediatric Neonatologist, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre; Halimatun Saa...

Fitness trackers, smartwatches, and other wearable technology are the number one fitness trend for 2019, according to an annual survey of health and fitness professionals published in the November issue of American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal. This month, Dr Harjeet Singh examines how this trend will affect the future of sports science and orthopaedic practice....

Most people with epilepsy are not getting the right treatment. As a result, they are not able to manage their seizures and their lives are severely disrupted by their condition. Consultant neurologist Dr Sherrini Ahmad Binti Bazir Ahmad from Subang Jaya Medical Centre explains how we can improve care for people with epilepsy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy Health Minister recommends boiling tap water before drinking because our pipes are old and potentially rusty. But does boiling really make rusty water any better? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a look at our tap water, which one minister says is safe to drink, but another recommends boiling . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a first, scientists have found tiny plastic particles in human poop . We ask: what do these microplastics do to our body? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Find out why people die of food poisoning, such as in the case of the contaminated laksa noodles that killed two and made 83 others very ill in Kedah. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development had called for more training for para counsellors or lay counsellors to provide counselling services to more people. Doing just that is American psychiatrist and neurologist Dr Leeland Jones, who is in town to train counsellors at the ministry. We check in with him on what it takes to develop such a community support system. *If you are strug...

Serena Williams won the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant, but we’re no Serena Williams. Still, pregnant women are often misled to believe that they are more fragile than they really are. They are told not to do “laborious” tasks or risk causing complications to their pregnancy. What is considered risky? What’s safe and what’s not for pregnant women and postpartu...

In September, a UK court began an inquest into the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who collapsed and died two years ago after eating a baguette that contained sesame seeds, which she was allergic to. The label on the baguette had not indicated the presence of any allergens. Natasha’s tragic death is the greatest fear of every parent who has a child with allergies. Dr Salehuddin...

In our callers’ segment, we address some of your most pressing health concerns with some help from the experts. No case is too trivial. This week: What’s the deal with cannabis? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We bring the latest in health news. We explore how Zimbabwe tackles depression . Hint: It takes a bench and a team of grandmothers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We bring the latest in health news. We take a look at the surging rates of C-section births worldwide – and its potential implications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We bring the latest in health news. This week, find out how men who smoke cause genetic changes to their sperm, passing on cognitive deficits to his children and grandchildren. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. If you’re thinking of inserting jade eggs into your vagina because it’s been promoted on Goop—Gwyneth Paltrow’s so-called wellness website—you might want to think again. Celebrities are endorsing a wide range of health practices, mostly related to sexual heal...

People living with a mental health disorder struggle on two levels. Firstly, they have to cope with the symptoms and impact of the disorder. On another level, they face numerous challenges caused by stigma and discrimination. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Rabin Gonzaga explores how stigma can hinder access to care and treatment for mental health illnesses. Caregiver Poh Kim Pheng shares her children&...

The Ministry of Health reported that recently, there has been a rise in abuse of the drug misoprostol for illegal abortions and it is being sold online. Why is this dangerous and what is the ministry doing to address it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We don’t just talk about mental health on certain days of the year. Similarly, it’s not just healthcare professionals who advocate for mental health issues. One group with the authority and influence to champion for better mental health care is parliamentarians. Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development YB Hannah Yeoh, as well as clinical psychologist and founder of Re...

Heart failure is often the final stage of a heart disease but is it all doom and gloom? What is life like after a heart failure diagnosis? Dato’ Dr Azmee Mohd Ghazi of Institut Jantung Negara shares. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. On Monday, 8th October, Malaysia became the first country in the WHO Western Pacific region to be validated as having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. This makes Malaysia only the 12th country globally to receive this validation from the World Health Organization. Dr Anita Suleiman, Head of Sector (HIV/STI/Hepati...

Brain cell formation or neurogenesis is said to continue to happen throughout life. It is on this basis that we are encouraged to exercise to make new brain cells. However, a couple of papers were published a few months ago that have challenged this belief, claiming that we stop producing new brain cells in our early teenage years. To weigh on this controversy, Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar is joined by...

Smoking, dengue prevention, chronic lifestyle diseases – these are some of the public health problems that have reached epidemic levels in Malaysia, despite all the efforts being made to address them. Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha, Deputy Director of the Non-Communicable Disease Section, Ministry of Health, joins Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy, to discuss w...