THE HEALTH | OCTOBER , 2021

HEALTH Director-General ( DG ) Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was awarded the International Surgical Fellowship Award from the International Society of Surgery ( ISS ) during “ The Virtual Surgical Week ” ( VSW 2021 ), which was held from Aug 30 till Sept 3 .

The news was shared by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on his Twitter account .

He tweeted : “ Congratulations @ DGHisham on the recognition of the ‘ International Surgical Society Fellowship Award ’. It is also a recognition for Malaysia .

RADIANCE ASSETS Berhad ( Radiance ) has invested in MDHealthtrak™ an American company that has developed a mobile and web application which allows easy communication and access between doctors and their patients .

This investment stays true to their vision of developing effective solutions for real world problems , by integrating user-friendly technology seamlessly with everyday life .

The innovative health app - MDHealthtrak™ is a doctor-developed transformative healthcare ecosystem , engineered to improve and strengthen the relationship between a patient and doctor .

It is also designed to streamline and enhance the consultation processes and patient record tracking .

MDHealthtrak™ is an advanced digital platform that efficiently delivers high-quality healthcare right from your smartphones .

The platform is curated efficiently to track disease symptoms , facilitate communication for patients , providers and institutions , improving access to care and increasing the efficiency of health-related services and information via telecommunication technologies .

Patients can book virtual appointments and in-person consultations through the app with a touch of a single button and doctors can manage their patients via the app ’ s interface where appointment management and patient care

SINCE THE onset of the pandemic in Malaysia last year , McDonald ’ s Malaysia has launched a number of ongoing initiatives to support the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) in managing the Covid-19 pandemic , while driving the nation ’ s road to recovery .

This is also part of the company ’ s efforts to bring positivity and underlines McDonald ’ s commitment to feed and foster communities as a responsible corporate citizen , aligned with its Komuniti @ McDonald ’ s & RMHC programme mission .

Among the latest initiatives by the company include 10,000 free meals via voucher giveaway to frontliners at hospitals that treat Covid-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit ( ICU ) and Critical Care Unit ( CCU ) since mid-September 2021 .

“ Being there for all Malaysians is a purpose that is close to our heart , and it is our commitment to show up for our communities when they need it

Well done ! “

Also receiving the recognition were Dr Gaurav Agrawal of India and Dr Yousef Saleh Al-Alawi of Saudi Arabia .

When contacted by Bernama , Dr Noor Hisham , who was once a supreme council member of the ISS executive committee for five years ( 2017 – 2019 , 2019 – 2021 ), expressed his gratitude for the recognition .

He had previously received the BrandLaureate Award - Leadership Brand Excellence 2020 from The World Brands Foundation .

Last year , China Global Television Network ( CGTN ) named him among the top three global doctors in the war against Covid-19 along with US infectious diseases specialist Dr Anthony Fauci and New Zealand Health DG Dr Ashley Bloomfield .

is simplified .

This investment is a step towards the advancement of medical technology solutions with the goal of improving health care accessibility and management for both doctors and patients . MDHealthtrak™ is led by an experienced team , who are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve the eco-system and solutions being provided .

Group Chairman of Radiance Ezman Zamani said : “ I believe our investment in MDHealthtrak™ is quite timely , in view of the current pandemic and healthcare environment not only in Malaysia but globally .

“ Our society will be affected by this pandemic for an exceptionally long time and people are constantly concerned about going places , especially when visits to clinics and hospitals are required .

“ MDHealthtrak™ will enable patients to reduce their visitations to clinics and hospitals , especially for minor consultation and follow up cases . Patients will be able to receive their regular consultations in the comfort of their own homes .

“ Doctors will have access to more frequent and closer monitoring , and real-time readings of their patients , as well .”

MDHealthtrak™ will be made available in Malaysia in October 2021 for enterprise clients . The app will be released on Apple ’ s app store and Google Playstore in Q1 of 2022 .

most ,” said Azmir Jaafar , Managing Director and Local Operating Partner of McDonald ’ s Malaysia .

“ We want to bring this message of strength and resilience to all , as we strive to return to normalcy and recover from the pandemic .

“ Our meal sponsorships and vouchers giveaway help to bring cheer and convey McDonald ’ s appreciation towards the important work by the MoH .”

Ivermectin study to be completed soon

ACCORDING TO Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin , the study on the efficacy of controversial medication Ivermectin in preventing severe Covid-19 infection will be completed soon .

He was alluding to the study , “ Ivermectin Treatment Efficacy in Covid-19 High Risk Patients ” also known as I-TECH study , which was announced by Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in June .

Khairy stated , in a Parliamentary written reply dated Sept 22 , that the I-TECH Study will continue until 500 individuals have been recruited by the end of September .

“ The study ’ s findings will then be presented to Health Ministry stakeholders in October ,” he said in responds to Oscar Ling Chai Yew ( PH-Sibu ), who asked about preliminary findings of the I-TECH Study .

According to Khairy , the I-TECH Study involved more than 350 Covid-19 patients as of August , with the primary goal of determining the efficacy of Ivermectin in preventing Covid-19 patients from deteriorating from Category Four to Category Five .

Based on the study ’ s protocol , an interim safety analysis was performed after 30 per cent of the patients were recruited .

To date , Khairy said , the Data Safety Monitoring Board has found that no severe adverse effects have been recorded .

He said , “ The board has requested that efficacy analysis studies be continued until it ( I-TECH ) is completed .”

Stop using sanitiser guns on people

THE MINISTRY of Health ( MoH ) stated that nano-mist sanitiser guns are not safe to use on humans , warning of adverse health effects from coming into contact with or inhaling in the spray particles .

Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said while these sprays can be used to sanitise surfaces , their efficacy is dependent on how they are utilised , how long they are used for , and what chemicals are used .

The device effectiveness is also dependant on its dispersion ability , the disinfectant used and its concentration , as well as the contact time between disinfectant and surface .

Nothing , he claims , can substitute the regular wiping down of surfaces with a disinfectant-soaked cloth .

“ We would like to emphasise that the disinfecting solution as mentioned above is for the purpose of surface disinfection and not meant to be used directly on humans ,” he said in a statement .

He warned against the use of such guns on the body , saying that the spray particles could irritate the eyes , skin , respiratory , and gastrointestinal systems .

Pfizer launches new antibiotic

ON AUG 26 , Pfizer officially launched Zavicefta ® a novel combination antibiotic developed to treat serious Gram-negative bacterial infections requiring hospitalisation , in Malaysia .

Zavicefta ® is a combination of ceftazidime , a third-generation antipseudomonal cephalosporin and avibactam , a beta-lactamase inhibitor . Zavicefta ® has a well-established efficacy and safety profile .

In Malaysia , Zavicefta ® is indicated for the treatment of adults 18 years and above with complicated intra-abdominal infection ( cIAI ) in combination with metronidazole , complicated urinary tract infection ( cUTI ) including pyelonephritis , and Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia ( HAP ), including Ventilator Associated Pneumonia ( VAP ) .

Dr Jerusha Naidoo , Country Medical Director for Malaysia at Pfizer , said : “ The launch of Zavicefta ® reaffirms Pfizer ’ s commitment to addressing the threat of antimicrobial resistance through antibiotics research and development of a more robust antibiotics pipeline .” — The Health