THE HEALTH | SEPTEMBER , 2021

PENANG Health Department Director Datuk Dr Asmayani Khalib has been appointed Health Deputy Director-General ( Medical ), effective Aug 17 , 2021 .

The appointment was announced by Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a post on his Facebook account . He also said that Dr Asmayani is replacing Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail who retired on Aug 17 .

“ All the best in carrying out the duties and trust , and the excellence of the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) medical programmes will continue ,” said Dr Noor Hisham , who also conveyed his congratulations to Dr Asmayani on her appointment .

Previously the Director of the Penang Health Department since 2019 , Dr Asmayani has also served as the Director of the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ), Director of Kulim Hospital and Senior Principal Assistant Director of the Medical

PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad ( PDB ) is amplifying the Food Bank Programme at over 400 participating PETRONAS stations nationwide to reach out to more Malaysians affected by the ongoing pandemic .

The effort , which was first initiated by individual station dealers , is now augmented by contributions from good Samaritans from the stations ’ surrounding communities who have come forward to join the cause .

PDB has to date allocated RM600,000 worth of food supplies to amplify the programme so it could reach more beneficiaries . Through new features in Setel , beneficiaries and those who prefer to contribute physically can search for the programme ’ s participating stations . Setel users can also opt to purchase food bank packs from their vehicle through Deliver2Me while at the station .

Members of the public can also contribute online from the safety of their homes . Mesra members can redeem and convert their points into food bank packs through the Setel application . Food bank packs can also be purchased directly from the PRYSM website ( https :// www . petronasmerchandise . com ). All online contributions leverage on PDB ’ s value chain

ON AUG 12 , Mahkota Medical Centre became the first medical facility in the country to introduce the highintensity focused ultrasound ( HIFU ) technology , for the treatment of uterine fibroids and adenomyosis .

With the establishment of this HIFU technology , Mahkota Medical Centre is changing the treatment landscape for women nationwide , offering a noninvasive , cutting-edge treatment option with clinically proven positive outcomes , that also preserves their fertility .

Uterine fibroids and adenomyosis are two common benign gynaecological tumours that deteriorate women ’ s quality of life during their reproductive years . Although both tumours are found in the uterus , they are very different gynaecological conditions .

Fibroids are benign muscular tumours that grow in the uterine wall , whereas adenomyosis is a condition in which the inner lining of the uterus ( endometrium ) is found in the muscular wall of the uterus ( myometrium ). Uterine fibroids and adenomyosis can cause many symptoms such as heavy and painful menstrual cramps , lower abdomen discomfort or tenderness , back pain , a sensation of fullness or pressure in the pelvic area , stomach bloating , and pain during intercourse .

Common treatments for uterine fibroids and adenomyosis , are hysterectomy removal in the uterus , myomectomy and removal of the adenomyomectomy

Development Division of the MoH . She has also worked in several hospitals and health facilities over the years , namely , Kuala Kubu Bharu Hospital and Kajang Hospital ( Selangor ), Perak Health Department and Taiping Hospital ( Perak ), Penang Hospital and Bukit Mertajam Hospital ( Penang ), and Jengka Hospital in Pahang .

network and will be delivered to the chosen state nationwide , at no added cost to the contributors .

Recently , PDB handed out coffee and snacks to 20,000 frontliners nationwide through its PETRONAS Coffee Break Campaign , for them to re-energise amidst the battle against the pandemic . The Coffee Break items were delivered to frontliners stationed at vaccination centres , hospitals , roadblocks , and quarantine centres as well as to delivery riders who stopped by at any of the participating PETRONAS stations .

PDB Managing Director and CEO Azrul Osman Rani explained : “ The PETRONAS Coffee Break Campaign is in its 23rd year now and typically benefits motorists travelling back to their hometowns during festive seasons . Due to the pandemic and travel restrictions , we have redirected our contribution to the frontliners , in hopes that our gesture can lift their spirits and remind them to rest and recharge .”

( removal of adenomyosis ). Most women do not want to undergo a hysterectomy . Myomectomy and adenomyomectomy may lead to complication during pregnancy .

The HIFU technology uses focused sound energy to heat and destroy targeted tissues . It is being used to treat many medical conditions , such as renal stones , cataracts , neurological disorders , benign thyroid nodules , prostate diseases , solid tumours , and it is also used in palliative therapy . In gynaecology , the HIFU technology can be used to treat uterine fibroids , and adenomyosis .

The HIFU technology offers a completely noninvasive approach for the ablation ( shrinkage ) of adenomyoma and an alternative to surgical removal of uterine fibroids . A high-intensity ultrasound transducer directs sound waves to a specific location , raising local temperature of tissues from 60 ° C to 80 ° C , resulting in coagulative necrosis of the tissues .

HIFU is performed with the guidance by either Magnetic Resonance Imaging ( MRgFUS ) as the imaging modality or Ultrasound ( USgHIFU ), which uses ultrasound scan as the imaging modality to target treatment to a specific focal area in the tissue while avoiding damage to intervening tissues .

As HIFU utilises a technology that is a non-invasive procedure , patients do not require general anaesthesia

MTC gives RM1.3 million for vaccination programme

THE MALAYSIAN Timber Council ( MTC ) has allocated RM1.3 million to expedite mass vaccination among workers from the timber-based sector through the industrial vaccination programme .

The Council , which set up its vaccination centre in Olak Lempit , Banting , Selangor , for this purpose has successfully vaccinated 10,005 workers for the first dose as of Aug 16 , 2021 .

The Vaccination Programme for the Agricommodity Sector ( VACOMS ) at PPVIN @ Olak Lempit began vaccinating factory workers on July 28 , 2021 and ceased operations on Sept 6 , 2021 . The Council will engage with the respective timber associations or companies in other states to provide the subsidies they need to enable mass vaccination to curb workplace clusters in factories .

MTC Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Suhaili said : “ Covid-19 is going to become an endemic and we need to create workplaces that are safe for us to operate in for business continuity . MTC will provide a subsidy of RM30 per vaccine for each factory worker .”

The timber industry is extremely collective in its measures towards mass vaccination as it had suffered losses amounting to RM60 million daily in June due to the lockdowns .

Medicap ’ s equity crowdfunding

MediCap Sdn Bhd ( MediCap ) has amassed RM1,025,000 in equity crowdfunding , over 50 per cent of the minimum goal of RM2,000,000 through MyStartr , Malaysia ’ s leading equity crowdfunding platform approved by the Malaysia Security Commission , in a bid to revolutionise the modern integrated healthcare landscape in Malaysia .

The funds will be channelled into three areas : health hub expansion , raising public awareness and developing partnerships with renowned industry players . For the expansion of its two major projects , the 5-in-1 health hub in Puchong , Selangor requires an estimated RM3,000,000 to RM4,000,000 to set up , and the medium-scale private medical centre in Kota Bharu , Kelantan , calls for a projected RM5,000,000 to RM7,000,000 investment . Part of the expansion includes technology acquisitions from key manufacturers to provide state-of-the-art facilities .

MediCap will also focus on raising public awareness of the company ’ s development , healthcare advancements , medical specialties and wellness offerings to educate consumers on available and accessible treatment options for medical conditions prevalent amongst Malaysians . The company will also be working to establish collaborative partners for future expansion into the medical tourism sector at which Malaysia has seen a growth of 322 % between 2011 and 2019 .

during the procedure and are able to walk-away scar-free . The procedure also has the upper hand on recovery time when compared with surgeries such as myomectomy or hysterectomy .

“ HIFU procedure is a game-changer as it will be able to provide a solution that mitigates the scaring , and the fertility impact patients may face in typical treatments for fibroid and adenomyosis removal .

“ Additionally , this non-invasive state-of-the-art technology will also benefit patients with a short recovery duration , allowing them to return to their daily routine in no time ,” said Dr S Selva , Obstetrician & Gynaecologist , and Reproductive Medicine Specialist of Mahkota Medical Centre .

“ As a medical centre that prioritises high-quality medical services , we strive to find new ways to deliver improved outcomes for the best interest of our patients . The introduction of HIFU service brings us one step closer to enhancing our patients ’ journey towards achieving greater outcome .

“ Ultimately , we are committed to continue keeping up with the latest trends in the industry by bringing in many more stateof-the-art facilities to offer the finest care for our patients ,” said Chin Wei Jia , Group CEO of HMI Group . — The Health