THE HEALTH | MARCH-APRIL , 2022

PROTECTHEALTH Corporation Sdn Bhd welcomes and encourages private paediatricians and private specialist clinics to participate in the implementation of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children ( PICKids ) which commenced on Feb 3 , 2022 .

ProtectHealth CEO Dato ’ Dr Anas Alam Faizli said ProtectHealth would continue to assist and collaborate with the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) to maximise the implementation of PICKids through Private Medical Practitioners ( PMPs ).

PICKids was first implemented in the Klang Valley through hospitals for children with comorbidities and at the Vaccination Centres ( PPV ) Integrasi for children without any medical issues .

ProtectHealth ’ s PPVs , including PPV Integrasi , Offsite PPVs , and selected Private Hospital PPVs , are fully prepared and can accommodate children aged five to under 12 years old to be vaccinated and served to the highest standards .

Effective March 7 , 2022 , as announced by Deputy Health Minister Dato ’ Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali on March 3 , 2022 , the

IN CONJUNCTION with World Sight Day 2021 , VISTA Eye Specialist ( VISTA ) has pledged to provide 100 charity cataract surgeries through a joint community service project with Tzu Chi Malaysia , thereby improving the quality of life of the affected individuals and their families .

This project aims to provide cataract surgery to the needy and underprivileged who may require it . Selected individuals will undergo comprehensive eye examinations by VISTA , followed by cataract surgery . Days after the surgery , follow-up visits were scheduled to monitor their vision recovery and progress .

The three-month-long VISTA x Tzu Chi ’ s ‘ 100 Charity Cataract Surgery Project ’ was launched in early September last year with an online ceremony , with the first batch of surgeries taking place on Sept 13 , 2021 at VISTA ’ s Petaling Jaya - The Curve , Puchong , and Cheras branches , with eight ophthalmologists and over 40 staff members .

Cataracts are a blurring of the natural lens in the eyes that affects vision and can be caused by ageing , excessive UV exposure , steroids , and diabetes ,

Dato ’ Dr Anas

Booking Management System was made available nationwide via the MySejahtera app for parents or guardians to register their children for PICKids .

This is part of the government ’ s ongoing effort to ensure the safety and well-being of children , including protection against the Omicron variant .

After the child has been registered as a vaccination dependent , parents or guardians can use the MySejahtera app

to select their preferred PPV and schedule vaccination appointments at those locations . Before using the Booking Management System to book an appointment , updating the app to the most recent version is recommended .

Anas advises parents to get their children vaccinated against Covid-19 to protect them from serious complications , particularly Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children ( MIS-C ).

“ In February , it was reported that seven children aged 18 and below in Malaysia have died of MIS-C due to Covid-19 infections and the cases have also been on an upward trend .

“ Research has proven that the Pfizer vaccine on children aged five to 11 years old is effective and able to enhance immunity and reduce the risk of serious illness from Covid-19 . Please protect your family ,” he said .

among other things . If cataract surgery , which is the only effective way to remove them , is not done promptly , severe vision loss may result .

According to the 2018 National Eye Survey ( NESII ) results , untreated cataracts ( 58.6 per cent ) are still the leading cause of blindness in Malaysia .

Dr Paul Lim , the leading VISTA Ophthalmologist in this community project , said : “ Cataract does not discriminate by race or sex , and not income .

“ That is why it is important to treat cataracts by performing surgery as early as possible - to restore eyesight , quality of life and the ability to work for a living .”

Sio Kee Hong , Deputy CEO of Tzu Chi Malaysia KL Selangor Chapter , said : “ We are pleased to team up with VISTA in the fight against one of the leading causes of vision impairment and preventable blindness in Malaysia .

“ By leveraging on VISTA and its specialities , we aim to help people with cataracts from the lower-income groups and the underprivileged .

“ Tzu Chi is committed to providing relief to those in suffering and be the beacon of hope in times of need .”

Chloe Wong , VISTA ' s Chief Marketing Officer , echoes the same sentiment : “ In line with VISTA ’ s vision to safely help people to see their best and changing lives , we are truly honored to join arms with Tzu Chi Malaysia in reaching out to the needy .

Duopharma ’ s brands sign on as an official partner for the Malaysian Football League

AS PART of a sponsorship agreement , Duopharma Biotech Berhad ’ s ( Duopharma Biotech ) leading paracetamol brand , Uphamol , and isotonic drink brand , Proviton STR , have signed on as the new official partner in the Analgesic and Isotonic category respectively for the Malaysian Football League ( MFL ) for two years , from Jan 1 , 2022 to Dec 31 , 2023 .

The sponsorship agreement will cover the Perlawanan Sumbangsih , Liga Super and Piala Malaysia competitions in 2022 and 2023 , respectively . Duopharma Biotech Group Managing Director Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar said the sponsorship was a key partnership for the company .

“ As a proudly Malaysian company , we are delighted to have this opportunity to support Malaysia ’ s biggest national-level football event through our leading paracetamol brand Uphamol and isotonic drink brand Proviton STR .

“ This is also a great opportunity for Duopharma Biotech to raise awareness on Uphamol as a homegrown halal-certified paracetamol brand , which is well-trusted by many Malaysian consumers .

“ Proviton STR is an innovative new effervescent drink range specially formulated to improve sporting performance with a pre-workout variant and to aid in recovery with a post-sports variant .

“ Sports , fitness and wellness are very important to us as a pharmaceutical business and as an employer , and we want to optimise the MFL platform to connect with Malaysian football fans to promote activities that enhance fitness and wellness ,” he remarked .

PERSATUAN Sindrom Down Malaysia received RM32,500 from the Sompo Welfare Foundation ( SWF ). Outside of Japan , they were one of four recipients of the Foundation ’ s FY2021 International Social Welfare Grant .

Berjaya Sompo Insurance ( Berjaya Sompo ), the Malaysian operating entity and a subsidiary of Sompo Holdings ( Asia ) Pte Ltd , nominated Persatuan Sindrom Down Malaysia ( PSDM ) as one of the grant recipients for their ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life for people with Down syndrome ( IDS ) and their families .

The Assisted Live-in Facility ( ALIF ) project , used for the Assisted Living Training Programme , is one of their upcoming projects .

Tan Sek Kee , CEO of Berjaya Sompo , said : “ We are honoured to support the ALIT initiative , with programmes that aim to provide formal training to individuals with Down Syndrome to live and function independently as they progress to join the workforce in the future .

“ We are proud to be part of PSDM ’ s initiative to improve the lives of individuals with Down Syndrome by providing the necessary facilities and programmes to help them practise and apply skills for everyday living so they may be more independent .”

Tan presented the RM32,500 mock cheque to Puan Norhana A Bakar , president of Persatuan Sindrom Down Malaysia . — The Health