Dengue Outbreak - Inevitable?



Malaysians need to brace themselves for the dengue outbreak as the spike in cases is expected to last until the end of the year, 2015.

Health Director General Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the number of cases was expected to be high due to change in dengue serotype shift from DEN-2 to DEN-1, which occurred in April.

It was also based on the cyclical pattern last year, he said.

“The ministry foresees the increase until end of the year. We are doing our best in activating our resources to eliminate breeding grounds,” he said.
The ministry reported that the number of deaths had doubled for the period of January to June 20 this year to 158 compared with 78 for the same period last year.

From June 14 to 20, 2,348 cases were reported with six deaths.

The number of dengue cases increased from an average of 1,400 cases a week in April to 2,200 cases a week this month.

Total accumulative cases reported from Jan 20 were 53,823 compared to 40,208 during the same period last year, an increase of 34% (13,615 cases).

There are 135 hotspot localities, with 116 in Selangor and 12 in Perak, 4 in Penang, 2 in Johor and 1 in Kedah.

He said the ministry and the state authorities would ensure activities on preventive and monitoring of cases and outbreaks be carried out fully.

The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry, Public Cleansing and Management Corporation and the ministry would carry out cleaning campaigns and come up with a National Cleansing Plan as soon as possible to be implemented as a policy by seven ministries in the Dengue National Task Force, he said.

He also said the Construction Industry Development Board and the Department of Occupational Safety and Health needed to increase enforcement at construction sites.

/theSTAR 24-06-2015

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Biocon: First Insulin Plant in Malaysia



Exciting times are ahead for Malaysia when Biocon Ltd begins operations in the country next year.

Malaysia Biotechnology Corp (Biotech Corp) biomedical section senior vice-president Jay Padasian said it had taken about two years to convince the company to set up its integrated insulin plant in Malaysia.
 
“If you look at some of the interviews conducted with Biocon’s founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, she said there was an intensive engagement by Malaysia to get the company into the country,” said Padasian when met on the sideline of the Bio International Convention here.
 
The almost-completed Biocon integrated insulin plant is located at a sprawling 40acre facility in Nusajaya, Johor. It is the largest insulin plant in Asia, said Padasian.
 
Biocon has invested more than US$160mil (RM592mil) to set up the plant and this is the largest foreign investment in Malaysia’s biomedical sector. According to Padasian, the idea to get a big biopharmaceutical player into the country was mooted in 2008. 
 
He added getting a big company like Biocon into the country was a crucial element required to build a domestic biomedical industry. The setting up of the facility has created a number of job opportunities for Malaysians, especially young graduates from related disciplines.
 
Biocon’s presence would make it easier to promote and sell Malaysia as a biotechnology hub.
 
/theSTAR 22-06-2015
 
 
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Another Anti-Dengue weapon ?



A new anti-dengue kit will be distributed to communities in three states with the highest recorded number of cases this year.

A total of 100,000 kits – each containing a Mousticide biolarvicide that kills aedes larvae, a Denguard mosquito repellent and ALOT Aedes Larvae Ovitrap that traps mosquitoes into breeding in the treated water and kills the larvae – will be given out.

The kits are part of the Dengue-Free Community programme, launched by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry in collaboration with Inno Biologies and Entogenex.

The two companies, which are responsible in providing the technology used in the programme, will be overseeing the implementation of the project.

 
Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin called the collaboration a positive step for the country’s biotechnology industry.

A dengue-free squad, he said, would also be set up in high-risk neighbourhoods with the help of the local councils and which would be trained to use the kit to combat the scourge.

The kits will be distributed in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Johor between this month and September.

Organisers claimed that they were expecting a 100% success rate from the programme, adding that they estimated to see results within a month.

Entogenex executive director Tunku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Jaafar said the products had been sold in Singapore and Philippines, where it had shown good results.

“The programme is holistic and very targeted in combating dengue. We will be using a four step plan, known as REAP – reduce, educate, activate and prevent,” he said.

/theSTAR 22-06-2015

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IHH - 10,000 beds by 2017



IHH Healthcare Bhd plans to phase in another 3,000 new beds in its hospital network over the next two years, said its managing director and CEO Dr Tan See Leng.

"It's a combination of new hospitals and the expansion of existing hospitals," he told a press conference after its AGM here.

This includes the construction of a 500-bed Gleneagles Hong Kong, the Gleneagles Medini in Johor that is expected to start operations later this year (150 beds initially), as well as a few hospitals under the Acibadem chain in Turkey.

Currently, IHH has 7,000 beds across 39 hospitals in 19 countries in its stable. It is on track to deliver 10,000 beds by 2017.

/theSUN 150-06-2015

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Organ Transplant, What ails?



Malaysians spend years on the organ transplant wait list in public hospitals, not because of a lack organ donors, but because hospitals cannot handle the sheer number of requests.

An average of 60 organ transplants are done in government hospitals a year but there are 18,000 Malaysians on the waiting list.

The problem is there are only a dozen dedicated transplant surgeons in government hospitals, said Health Ministry deputy director-general Datuk Dr Jeyaindran Sinnadurai.


Malaysia has a large pool of potential donors — over 300,000 citizens have pledged their organs for use after their death. This does not include the living, related donors and other forms of organ donation methods.

“However, most transplants are done by general surgeons and the process is slow because they also have to juggle their daily duties,” Dr Jeyaindran said.

To remedy the situation, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) has twinned with the renowned Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) in Sydney to exchange ideas on improving transplant services in government hospitals.

RPAH’s kidney transplantation director Prof Steve Chadban, who is coordinating the programme, said there was a long waiting list and a shortage of donors in most countries.

HKL nephrology department head and senior consultant Datuk Dr Ghazali Ahmad said government hospitals here should first streamline their different departments to fast-track transplant procedures.

Ironically, Malaysian government hospitals conducted a lot more organ transplants in the 80s and 90s. Dr Ghazali remembers a time when HKL alone did about 50 surgeries a year. Today, it conducts only about 30 such transplants a year.

“At the time, our doctors and nurses were sent to prestigious international institutions, including RPAH, for formal training on transplantation,” he said.

“In those days, alternative treatment like dialysis was not easily available, so the fastest and best treatment was organ transplantation,” said Dr Jeyaindran.

“Nowadays, dialysis is widely available, so people are more likely to choose dialysis over surgery.”

However, the experts believe organ transplantation provides a better quality of life after the procedure.

/theSTAR 20-06-2015

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Physically or Mentally Ageing?



My friend often times, without second thoughts, said that he is old in age whenever we meet up for discussions.

I asked "How old are you?". He replied "late 60s'" ... I responded "... not that old, la". Well, we always laughed over it and moved to other more interesting subjects ...

Yes, we always hear that "age is just a number". It should not hinder us from healthy living and doing the things that we would like to do.

The body indeed aged physically in its 60s' and thus not as resilient and strong as before ... thus with much realisation and caution, and with the wisdom of age, regular physical exercise and eating right, I believe, life should be richer, fuller and satisfying ...

In fact when we meet up with the "80s+ years old", there are many of this age group living in the community as well, we are like "kids" before their eyes, which is motivating and encouraging!

In fact with today's science and technology, man are eating and living healthier, longer ... so the "new norm" has come in ... "60s'" are the "young-olds".

However, the 60s' need to accept the age limitations as well. We must learn how to enjoy the lives that we desire, however, within the physical capability and limits. We should continue to learn and earn respect from the younger ones and should not expect special treatments. We should also know how to lead and share knowledge, skill and wisdom and plough back, what the world had given us, back to the community that we live in. We should not be selfish and envy others ... we should learn to be contented as well! We should be thankful and grateful that we can still give ...

On the other hand, the younger ones, must understand that ageing is part of the process of life, as one day, they will be in the "same space". Thus, love, care, mercy and grace must be mutually practised between the generations living together.

Thank God for the 60s' and moving forward being the "young-old" is definitely "not out!"


/16-06-2015

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Sales drives Inventory



"Sales drives Inventory" and NOT "Inventory drives Sales"

I was driving this message across when I was leading a group of Managers on "stock ordering" for a new business venture.

Whether it is a manufacturing plant or a trading company, high stock inventory, locks up cash flow and thus liquidity resulting in a poor and unhealthy organisation. If it is not remedied, the organisation will definitely ends up as "toxic" and eventually insolvent.

Thus, there is a need to understand and practise the art and science of inventory management.

Healthy, effective, productive and high performance Company manages stock inventories well.

Thus it is important that Managers responsible for inventory management understand the total supply chain and align themselves with realistic sales performances and projections from the Marketing & Sales department to achieve optimal inventory level as defined by the Company Policy.

Companies should send their Managers for learning and training if there are inadequate knowledge and expertise. Relevant IT inventory software, tools and SOP must be in place and, unless specifically exempted, be strictly adhered to.

A healthy Company is a financially sound Company.
/11-06-2015

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