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THE HEALTH | JULY-AUGUST , 2022
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Pledge your organs to save lives
DONATING your organs , whether by pledging them for use after your death or donating them while you ’ re alive , is a noble deed . Often , doing so means you are saving the organ recipient ’ s life , as they would be in danger of imminent death due to their affected organ already being in the last stages of failing .
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“ The sad truth is that most patients on the organ transplant list die while waiting and hoping to get a new organ . The main reason is the insufficient number of donors who have pledged their organs . Simply put , the demand for donated organs far outstrips the supply ,” said Dr Hasdy Haron , Senior Clinical Organ Donation Manager , National Transplant Resource Centre , Hospital Kuala Lumpur
“ Like all other areas of healthcare , the Covid-19 pandemic had a big impact
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on organ transplants in our country . Not only were living donor transplantations halted due to the fear of transmitting the virus to the parties involved , but the number of deceased organ donors also dropped dramatically .
“ For example , there were only seven deceased organ donors for 2021 . This is likely due largely to the restrictions during the Movement Control Order ( MCO ) as most eligible deceased organ donors in Malaysia pass away due to road traffic accidents .“ — The Health
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IJN addresses medication non-adherence
THE NATIONAL Heart Institute or Institut Jantung Negara ( IJN ) has embarked on an increased push towards healthcare digitalisation . IJN CEO Datuk Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim said : ” This is part of our efforts at a ‘ total information system ’ transformation , which entails utilising digital health solutions wherever possible to ease our processes and help our patients better manage their health ,” he said .
Dr Aizai Azan had recently revealed IJN ’ s digitalisation plans in a virtual health technology forum . Titled Digital Health : How Tech Can Help Patients , the forum was jointly organised by IJN and health-tech social enterprise CaringUp Malaysia .
The speakers included IJN Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Prof Datuk Dr Azhari Yakub , IJN ’ s Director of Clinical Research Datuk Dr Suhaini Kadiman , CaringUp Group CEO Pervaiz Gul ; and Microsoft Malaysia ’ s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer Azizah Ali .
Dr Azhari shared his perspective on the current challenges faced by the medical sector , particular on the issue of medication non-adherence . Medication non-adherence is a serious global issue when a patient is not following their prescribed treatment plan . He said a 2021 study
COUNTRY Farms Group , owned by Berjaya Corporation Berhad , has announced an exclusive distribution partnership with Singapore ’ s leading plant-based nutrition pioneer and Asian food tech start-up , Growthwell Foods .
The partnership will grant Country Farms Group ’ s CountryFarm Organics Sdn Bhd exclusive rights to Growthwell Foods ’ HAPPIEE ! plant-based product portfolio , driving the brand ’ s launch across retailers and foodservice channels across Malaysia .
HAPPIEE ! plant-based food products will be available at selected AEON supermarket outlets in Peninsular Malaysia . The brand will also partner with iconic restaurants and eateries within the region to roll out special dishes made from the plant-based food products later this year .
found that some 50 to 60 per cent of patients with chronic illnesses had unused medication at home .
Dr Suhaini said that when unused medications were found among household garbage or polluting the environment , it signalled a serious issue . “ Unused medication is also a financial wastage for the public health expenditure . This is why IJN is keen on looking for solutions that will benefit the Malaysian healthcare sector as a whole , as well as improve the well-being of Malaysians with chronic illnesses ,” he said .
One way IJN does this is through a new collaboration with CaringUp Malaysia to introduce a new mobile app called CareAide . CareAide is the first of its kind compliance platform in Asia to help improve medication non-adherence .
In his presentation , Pervaiz shared that mobile apps have the potential to improve medication adherence drastically . “ In the United States , patients who previously only had a 30 to 40 per cent of medication adherence reached 80 per cent through the ease of managing their treatment plans . We believe that we can similarly improve patient outcomes here in Malaysia , with added localisation features ,” he said .
Meanwhile , Azizah offered a broad overview of how the tech company was helping healthcare providers utilise digital tools , including at centres such as IJN . “ When it comes to the healthcare industry , we want to empower people and organisations to address the challenges they face by harnessing the power of technology ,” she said . — The Health
Berjaya Corp partners with Growthwell Foods
Through the partnership , Growthwell Foods aims to introduce the HAPPIEE ! plant-based food to more restaurants and eateries across Malaysia by end 2022 .
“ Country Farms Group is thrilled to partner with Growthwell Foods . With more Malaysians choosing to adopt veganism , vegetarianism , or flexitarian diets due to a growing desire to improve their health and wellbeing , demand for plant-based alternatives in food and beverage continues to rise ,” said Louis Kho , Group Managing Director and CEO of Country Farms Group .
“ This is a tremendous opportunity for Growthwell Foods to make plant-based nutrition more accessible to support the pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle . Country Farms Group ’ s impressive distribution network and experience in plant-based and organic products , made them the ideal partner for Growthwell Foods to enter the Malaysian market ,” said Manuel Bossi , Group CEO of Growthwell Foods .
Created by Growthwell Foods Innovation and R & D Manufacturing Centre , HAPPIEE ! plant-based food is dedicated to enabling consumers to easily adopt plant-based options by providing sustainable and highly nutritious plant-based alternatives to seafood and chicken , without compromising on taste .
The brand features a seafood line made from Konjac ; an ingredient naturally free from cholesterol , high in fibre , and low in calories that will also lower blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol levels , and a range of soy-based chicken that emulates the taste and texture typical of chicken meat . — The Health
Importance of staying hydrated
100PLUS championed World Hydration Day by being the pioneer in organising a fun-filled carnival , ‘ Hari Hidrasi Sedunia 100PLUS ’ to remind Malaysians to stay hydrated and spread awareness on the importance of the same .
The four-day carnival took place from June 23 to 26 at the outdoor space of Pavilion , Kuala Lumpur . 100PLUS was distributed to the public , including people at LRT stations around Kuala Lumpur and at Stadium Iskandar JDT .
Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei , Malaysia ’ s national badminton hero , graced the event to officiate the launch of Hari Hidrasi Sedunia 100PLUS . Syafiq Kyle , a popular Malaysian actor and model , attended a meet & greet session with the fans to increase awareness of the importance of staying hydrated .
Head of Beverages Marketing at F & N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd , Leong Wai Yin said , “ Staying hydrated gives us a mental and physical boost . 100PLUS contains electrolytes that helps with optimum hydration .”
Safe disposal of old and used inhalers
BY striving to reduce its environmental impact , GSK Malaysia announced the launch of its very own Environmental , Social and Governance ( ESG ) campaign called # GiveBack , focusing on safe and responsible disposal of old and used inhalers .
# GiveBack is held through collaborative working with over 50 outlets of Big Pharmacy across the Klang Valley and Seremban and will soon be extended to a nationwide campaign . During this pilot phase of the campaign , patients are encouraged to drop off their used , unwanted , or expired inhalers at participating pharmacies to help reduce plastic waste and the adverse effects of the propellant on the environment .
In the next phase of the campaign , GSK is looking into the feasibility of recycling the collected inhalers into materials that can be repurposed , such as materials for local artists to create art installations . GSK Malaysia is keen on collaborating with social enterprises with similar ESG values .
Jonathan Pan , Vice President and GM of GSK Malaysia said : “ The programme has already been conducted in the UK and will help pave the way for a more environmentally sustainable treatment of respiratory diseases in Malaysia .” — The Health