04
The Health | April , 2020
| Local News |
Manvikram
creates history
with award
C
aptain Manvikram Singh
Gill created history by being
the first medical officer
of the Armed Forces to be
presented with the ‘Pharmacy
Professional of The Year 2019’
award. SwipeRx, the largest
social network of pharmacy
professionals in Southeast Asia, honoured
the 28-year-old with the top professional
pharmacist award in the region, beating
thousands of other pharmacists.
“I am proud of the award, which helped
put the Armed Forces and the country on
a pedestal. It will motivate my colleagues
and me to aim higher in our service,” said
Manvikram.
Manvikram, currently a pharmacist at
the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital
in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur credits
his success to his superior Brig-Gen Datuk
Dr A. Halim Basari for his guidance and
encouragement. Manvikram was Dr Halim’s
understudy during his early years after
graduating from the Armed Forces Health
Institute at the Terendak Camp in Malacca.
“It was Dr Halim who intensively
groomed me with an advanced pharmacy
leadership course,” Manvikram was quoted
as saying in a media report.
Dr Halim, who currently serves as
pharmacy director at the Health Services
Division of the Defence Ministry, is the first
Malaysian military pharmacist. Manvikram
was also tasked by Dr Halim to implement
a strategic plan he devised when he began
serving.
“The strategic plan was to establish,
develop and expand the profession of
military pharmacy for the nation. I attended
various military professional courses,
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
exercises and deployments,” he said.
Manvikram aspires to further promote
the capabilities of the pharmacy profession
in Malaysia.
“This, in the long term, will enhance the
roles and responsibilities of pharmacists for
the betterment of the community,” shares
Talian Kasih 15999
is now a toll-free
service
Manvikram the first
medical officer of the
Armed Forces to be
presented with the
‘Pharmacy Professional of
The Year 2019’ award.
Manvikram, who is pursuing a Master’s
degree in pharmacy at the International
Medical University in Bukit Jalil, Kuala
Lumpur.
Manvikram is also an active participant
of the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society,
the Malaysia-Australia Defence Alumni
Association, the Armed Forces Sikh
Association and the United Nations
Association of Malaysia’s youth chapter.
The Perak-hailed pharmacist attended
SMK Sri Ampang in Ipoh and graduated
with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy
from the La Trobe University in Melbourne,
Victoria, Australia in 2014. He then enlisted
in the Armed Forces the following year. He
was sent for a two-month professional-
duty course in Terendak. — The Health
USM-Merican Mobile Clinic
UNIVERSITI Sains Malaysia’s mobile clinics begun
their services to the public on Feb 22 in Kelantan. They
are designed from two modified medium-sized buses
and are equipped with RM2.2 million worth of state of
the art medical facilities.
The USM–Merican Community Inclusion
Programme is in collaboration with the Merican
Family and HUSM School of Medical Sciences. The
mobile clinic offers screening services for USM’s
four medical specialties, which are ophthalmology,
otorhinolaryngology (ORL), rehabilitation and family
medicine. Each screening service will be led by its own
specialist.
According to the Chairman of the USM–Merican
Community Inclusion Programme, Professor Dr
Wan Hazabbah Wan Hitam, the program is aimed at
helping those who are unable to receive treatment
from hospitals, especially ones who are settled in
THE Ministry of Women, Family and
Community Development (KPWKM)
has announced that the Talian Kasih
15999 hotline is now categorized as a
toll-free number under the Malaysia
Emergency Response Services (MERS)
999 to ensure no charges incurred to
the calls made to the hotline.
According to the statement issued
by the KPWKM, all callers using the
telecommunication service by Digi
Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, Celcom
Axiata Berhad, Telekom Malaysia
Berhad, TIME dotcom Berhad, U Mobile
Sdn Bhd, YTL Communications Sdn
Bhd, Maxis Berhad and Webe Digital
Sdn Bhd will not be charged for the calls
made to the hotline.
The Talian Kasih 15999 hotline
operates 27/7 to help those in need with
issues varying from welfare, children
rural areas. “USM also offers basic health checkup
services as well as consultations for disabled
persons. Our specialists are able to provide and
improve the healthcare for all members of society
especially for the older generations and the
disabled,” he said. He also adds that the mobile
clinic is equipped for eyes, ears and nose treatment
as well as rehabilitation.
Dr Wan Hazabbah, who is also the Deputy Dean of
Industry Collaboration – Community and Students,
shares that the program, along with hospitals and
health clinics under the Malaysian Health Ministry,
also conducts activities as per required by the
community of selected areas.
Due to the lack of awareness of the USM–
Merican mobile clinic service, USM is open to
invites, subject to vacancy in the schedule, from
agencies which require their services. Dr Wan
hotline, counselling, abuse, baby
dumping, teen social problems,
reproductive health services as well
as protection. KPWKM expresses
gratitude for the cooperation of all
the telecommunication companies.
The Talian Kasih 15999 hotline
was introduced by KPWKM for
the public get help as well as to
make complaints. The hotline
received 25868 calls last year,
which is an increase of over 70%
compared to the 15,046 calls in
2018. KPWKM launched the Talian
Kasih Whatsapp service earlier
this year to further facilitate the
public, especially for those with
speech and hearing impairment
as well as to appeal to the younger
generation, who prefer the app to
communicate. — The Health
2.5 million doses
of polio vaccines
to curb polio
outbreak in Sabah
TWO and a half million doses of the
monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2
(mOPV2) were given to the Ministry
of Health Malaysia by the World
Health Organisation (WHO) Vaccines
Stockpile under the United Nations
Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) as
means to combat the polio outbreak
in Sabah.The mOPV2 vaccines will
be given to over one million children
under the age of 13 in Sabah in addition
to the bivalent oral polio vaccine
(bOPV), provided by the Malaysian
Government, to ensure complete
protection. Both mOPV2 and bOPV
vaccination will provide protection to