The HEALTH | SEPTEMBER, 2019
04
CURRENT NEWS
Briefs
Network for
lung cancer
Newly-launched Lung Cancer Network Malaysia building awareness
of lung cancer through education and advocacy for patients and
healthcare professionals
Royal visit
to rehab centre
HER Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong
Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah
Iskandariah Binti Al-Marhum Al-
Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar
Al-Haj have recently visited the Cheras
Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) as part of
Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Dipertuan
Agong’s coronation.
Her Majesty was keen on visiting
the paediatric ward and the Rehab
Technology Unit,as well as presenting the
centre with RM30,000 in donation.
The CRC was built with the aim to be
the referral centre for public and private
hospitals, be it from local or international
in intensive rehabilitation treatment and
management. As of today, the centre
stands to be the largest rehabilitation
centre in Southeast Asia at 38.9 acres.
The centre houses six wards and 166
beds. The centre has accommodated
around 10,509 patients last year.
Home improvements
for the elderly
TENA, The Understanding Specialist
and Continence Foundation of Malaysia
recently launched the ‘Sentiasa
Denganmu Mak Abah di Mana Jua: Idea
Mudah Untuk Rumah, Ibu Bapa Kita
Lebih Selesa’ Campaign to empower
adult children to be more aware of the
little things they can do and how they
can play an active role in understanding
the many challenges their parents face,
including the onset of incontinence
which occurs in one out of two older
persons.
As incontinence can affect one’s
parents’ mobility and quality of life, the
campaign offers practical suggestions
from experts on proper care, management
and simple improvements in their
homes to help elderly parents feel more
comfortable while reducing the risk of
falls. Incontinence affects 1.4 million
Malaysians and is estimated to increase by
4.5 percent annually. Despite this, studies
have shown that 69 percent do not seek
hel largely due to embarrassment and
social stigma.
Charity family fun
ride and walk
PANTAI Hospital Penang and The
Lions Club of George Town Mutiara
is hosting a Charity Family Fun Ride
and Walk 2019 to raise funds for the
underprivileged community in getting
medical assistance.
In collaboration with Lions Club of
George Town Mutiara the fun ride will
begin at 7.00am while the walkathon will
start at 7.30 am on 20 October 2019.
The 38 km fun ride is expected to draw
1000, both ride and walk. The ride will
be fl agged off at Pantai Hospital Penang,
starting route to the Teluk Kumbar area
from Jalan Sultan Azlan Syah to Tun
Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, Jalan
Permatang Damar Laut, Gertak Sanggul,
Jalan Tun Dr Awang before heading back
to the hospital in Jalan Mayang Pasir.
The 5km walkathon will start from
Pantai Hospital Penang towards the
Bayan Baru area. — The Health
L
UNG Cancer Network
Malaysia (LCNM)
is the first national
level, non-commercial,
non-governmental
organisations (NGO)
dedicated solely and exclusively to
addressing all aspects and all stages
of lung cancer in Malaysia. The
network, compromising healthcare
professionals from multidisciplinary
backgrounds, aim to improve patient
outcomes through advocacy, educa-
tion and awareness for both the
Malaysian public and primary care
doctors.
“In Malaysia, the majority of
patients are diagnosed in the
advanced stages of the disease.
Contemporary data from the
National Cancer Registry suggests
a staggering 90 per cent of lung
cancer cases are diagnosed at stage
three (locally advanced disease) or
stage four (metastatic spread),” said
Dr Anand Sachithanandan, President
of Lung Cancer Network Malaysia
and Cardiothoracic Surgeon.
“Prompt diagnosis and successful
treatment of lung cancer often requires
a multidisciplinary approach and multi-
model therapy. Our aim at LCNM is to
conquer lung cancer together and to
provide a platform for patients, care-
giver as well as healthcare professionals
to access verifi ed information that is
From left: Dr Tho Lye Mun, Dr Anand Sachithanandan and Dr Hilmi
Lockman showing the fi gures and facts of lung cancer.
locally relevant,” he added.
“Lung cancer is often perceived
as a smokers’ disease and may be
overlooked by many, who assume
they are not at risk. Th is perception
of the disease needs to be altered, to
recognise its true burden and gravity.
Th erefore, it is pertinent to equip
patients, caregivers, and healthcare
professionals alike with the right
information about lung cancer,” said
Dr Th o Lye Mun, Vice President of
Lung Cancer Network Malaysia and
Clinical Oncologist.
According to Dr Hilmi Lockman,
Committee Member of the LCNM
Committee members of MySepsis: (from left) Dr Mohd Sidqi Mohd Soel,
Dr Nursaleha Muhammad Pala, Dr Ong Sheue Fen, Dr Nurul Huda Ahmad,
Associate Professor Dr Tan Toh Leong, Dr Mohd Fazrul Mokhtar, Dr
Christabel Kang Wan-Li, Dr Khor Chin Chuan, Dr Syed Farid Almufazal
bin Syed Salim.
MySepsis marks
World Sepsis Day
EVERY year on 13 September, the
world celebrates World Sepsis Day.
Sepsis remains one of the important
health issues globally where 20 to
30 million people suff er from sepsis
every year. Recognising the magni-
tude of this health issue
,
Malaysian Sepsis Alliance (MySepsis)
was established in 2018 with a mis-
sion to provide Malaysian leadership
to reduce the country’s burden of
sepsis.
As their major event in 2019,
Malaysian Sepsis Alliance (MySep-
sis) together with Universiti
Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), the
Ministry of Health and few interna-
and Respiratory Medicine Physician:
“On average, lung cancer causes
nearly one in the fi ve cancer deaths
globally, creating an urgent need to
address the severity of the disease .
With these high statistics, we hope to
encourage early detection for better
treatment.”
LCNM's vision is to reduce mortal-
ity rates from lung cancer in Malaysia
and improve the quality and durabil-
ity of life for such patients. LCNM
also seeks to correct misconceptions
surrounding the disease and increase
society’s understanding and empa-
thy for lung cancer. — Th e Health
tional healthcare industrial partners
(especially Edwards Lifescience &
SCHMIDT BioMedTech) organised
the 2nd Malaysian Sepsis Evolution
(MySE) 2019.
Th is two-day seminar was held
with the goal to foster awareness and
augment knowledge with the current
discoveries and fi ndings related to
sepsis as well as to educate partici-
pants on management of sepsis.
To spread across professionals and
the public,
President and founder of Malay-
sian Sepsis Alliance (MySepsis),
Associate Professor Dr Tan Toh
Leong stated: “The mission and
objectives of MySepsis is to dis-
seminate sepsis information for the
healthcare providers and public. We
aim to advocate the importance of
sepsis and infection through seminar
and courses as well as publication of
books, articles and research publica-
tions,” he stated.
“Sepsis contributes to a high
number of preventable deaths. The
cost of managing sepsis if early is
actually cheap. We urge the gov-
ernment to place focus on sepsis.
We urge sepsis survivors to look
for us to share their experience in
order to create awareness amongst
Malaysians. In this way, we can
reduce the burden of sepsis, and
if possible a world free of sepsis.”
— The Health