Dengue Statistics: 2019

In 2019, Malaysia recorded the highest number of dengue cases in four years with over 130,000, rising 61 per cent from 2018.

A total of 2,694 dengue cases were recorded in the last week of 2019, rising 2.4 per cent from the previous week. This brings the total number of dengue cases in Malaysia for 2019 to 130,101 as of December 28, beating the previous historic high of 120,836 cases reported in 2015.

According to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Crisis Preparedness Response Centre (CPRC), there were 80,615 cases for the same period in 2018. Last year’s cases, as of December 28, saw an increase of 61.4 per cent, or 49,486 cases, from the same period in 2018.

Meanwhile, six dengue-related deaths were reported from December 22 to December 28, bringing the total number of deaths to 182 for 2019. The figure was 147 during the same period last year. A total of 336 deaths were recorded in 2015.

Dengue-related deaths for all states and federal territories, excluding Perlis and Labuan, which recorded no deaths, averaged below 60.

Graphic from the Ministry of Health’s Crisis Preparedness Response Centre (CPRC).

Selangor, still remains at the top of the list of states with cumulative dengue cases for 2019 up to December 28, recording a staggering 72,543 cases, and 56 dengue-related deaths. This is an increase of 60 per cent in dengue cases for the same period in 2018. Selangor recorded 45,349 cases and 41 deaths up to the 52nd week of 2018.

Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya remained in second place, recording 15,424 cases and 10 deaths from January to December 28, 2019, a 103.2 per cent increase in dengue cases from the same period in 2018, where the two federal territories recorded 7,591 cases and 11 deaths.

Johor, Kelantan, and Sabah remained in third, fourth, and fifth places, recording 10,873, 6,003, and 5,478 cases, respectively, during the same period.

The other states and the number of dengue cases recorded last year (as of December 28, 2019) are as follows: Penang (4,119), Perak (3,226), Pahang (2,873), Sarawak (2,648), Negri Sembilan (2,305), Melaka (2,156), Kedah (1,587), Terengganu (542), Perlis (288), and Labuan (36).

Tudan Flat in Miri, Sarawak, recorded the highest number of cases according to district localities, with 59 cases last year as of December 28, followed by Taman Serkam Jaya in Jasin, Melaka (55 cases), and Block H-M at Pangsapuri Baiduri Bandar Tasik Kesuma in Hulu Langat, Selangor (48 cases).

CPRC also said that 55 chikungunya cases were reported from December 22 to 28 last year, bringing the total number of recorded cases for 2019 up to December 28, to 990.

One positive case of zika was also reported during that same week, bringing the number of zika cases from January to December 28, 2019, to one. This came after the National Public Health Lab and Institute of Medical Research screened 2,792 blood samples and 51 urine samples of those suspected to have zika, as part of its zika surveillance.

/CodeBlue 03-01-2020

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among Malaysian women.

Head of Cancer and Health Screening Clinics of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), Dr Dalilah Kamaruddin, said that, previously, cervical cancer was named the second most common cancer in Malaysia, but this had changed over the years due to the increased awareness among women.

“I can positively say that the public awareness on cervical cancer is much better these days as people are more exposed and informed about this illness, thus making them come forward to have their health screenings done.

“However, despite the fact that more people are aware of cancer, there are still many people who refuse to get themselves checked as they are too shy to do so,” she said.

Dr Dalilah said that based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (GLOBOCAN) statistics, in every four minutes a woman would die of cervical cancer in the Asia Pacific region, which includes Malaysia.

She said that this statistics crucially showed that cervical cancer could not be taken lightly by women, but instead should seen as an illness that needed early diagnosis and treatment.

“Women from all ages and walks of life must clearly understand that if this cancer is detected earlier, then the chance of recovery is much better,” she said.

She also added that in years to come, the number of women suffering from cervical cancer might drop as many women had become more health conscious, led a healthy lifestyle and were more open to talk about the deadly illness.

“I would also like to call on all the ladies out there to do their Pap Smears regularly, to have themselves vaccinated, to practice safe sex and to maintain their general health,” she added.

/NST  07-01-2016

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Colorectal Cancer: National Cancer Registry 2007-11

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the most common of cancer types among men and the second most common among women in Malaysia at a prevalence of 13.2 per cent, as reported in the Malaysian National Cancer Registry Report (2007 – 2011).

Statistics showed that the incidence of the disease is highest among the Chinese, followed by Malays and Indians. The figures also revealed that the mortality rate for males was 1.42 times higher as compared to females.

The most common symptoms of the disease are altered bowel habit (41.7 per cent) followed by blood in stool (35.5 per cent), abdominal pain, (31.5 per cent), weight loss (31.0 per cent), anaemia (9.8 per cent) and intestinal obstruction (9.3 per cent).

These alarming figures were revealed by Health Director General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah at the launch of the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG), which is the first of its kind handbook on the management of colorectal carcinoma at Hospital Selayang.

“Unfortunately, a majority of patients are at stage three and four (54.36 per cent), while only 8.4 per cent are diagnosed at stage one when they seek medical assistance".

He said some of the main causes in the rise of the disease was due to the unhealthy Malaysian lifestyle, in particular, the consumption of too much red meat and processed food, as well as the low intake of fibre.

“Genetics, consuming alcohol, smoking and lack of exercise are also contributing risk factors,” Dr Noor warned.

He pointed out that with the ever increasing number of new cases detected every year, the economic burden of CRC management is escalating especially if the patients are at the advanced stage.

“Hence, the introduction of screening programmes should be undertaken for early detection of the cancer which can ultimately reduce the economic burden of CRC, to the individual, family and country.

“Today, the estimated societal cost of CRC management in government hospitals in Malaysia using conventional chemotherapy ranges between RM13,622 and RM27,163 based on different stages, with an average of RM21,377 per patient. Early detection will not only save lives but also ease financial burden.

Among those present at the launch were colorectal specialist and chairman of the CPG steering committee Dr Nil Amri Mohamed Kamil and Hospital Selayang director Dr Sakinah Alwi.

/NST  27-06-2018

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Cancer on the Rise: National Cancer Registry 2012-16

Cancer cases in Malaysia have been increasing for the past 10 years, and it remains the second highest cause of death, based on the Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report (MNCRR) 2012-2016.

Health Director General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said cancer cases in the country had increased to 115,238 from 2012 to 2016, compared to 103,507 from 2007 to 2011.

“In 2018, cancer took 9.6 million lives worldwide, with 16,000 lives in Malaysia alone.”

He said 86 out of every 100,000 males and 102 out of every 100,000 females had cancer.

For the period 2012-2016, 10 types of cancer were detected among Malaysians. They were breast, colorectal, lung, lymphoma, nasopharynx, leukemia, prostate, liver, cervical and ovarian cancers.

It was discovered that men were mostly affected by lung and prostate cancer, while women are most affected by breast, colorectal and cervical cancer.

Meanwhile, the types of cancer usually detected among children aged 0 to 14 were leukemia and spinal cord cancer, while youngsters between the age of 15 and 24 were prone to lymphoma.

The rate of cervical cancer, however, is seeing a downward trend from eight to six cases for every 100,000 females in the country, and this is probably due to awareness campaigns involving early detection such as pap smear, according to the report.

“Nevertheless, there is a significant increase in breast and colorectal cancers.”

Dr Noor Hisham said analysis based on ethnicity found that the Chinese were more prone to cancer than the Malays and Indians.

For every 100,000 Chinese population, it was found that 106 men and 117 women had cancer.

However, if compared (this report) to the previous one, there is a downward trend in regard to cancer cases related to the Chinese and Indians, while it is increasing among the Malays.

“Late cases where there was only detection at the third and fourth stages is also increasing from 58.7 per cent from 2007 to 2011, to 63.7 per cent from 2012 to 2016,” he said.

/NST 03-01-2020

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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IHH to acquire Prince Court Medical Centre by Q1,2020

IHH Healthcare Bhd is expected to complete the acquisition of Prince Court Medical Centre in the first quarter 2020 on near unanimous shareholder support.

The government-linked health care provider announced that an extraordinary general meeting today, more than 99.99 per cent of non-interested IHH shareholders and proxies voted in favour of the conditional share purchase agreement between IHH’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Pantai Holdings Sdn Bhd, and Pulau Memutik Ventures Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, for the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Prince Court Medical Centre, for RM1.02 billion cash.

“This moves the Group closer to strengthening its market position in Malaysia and allowing it to better serve patient needs in the country,” IHH said in a statement.

Once the transaction is completed, Prince Court Medical Centre will become IHH’s 16th hospital in Malaysia. IHH currently runs Pantai and Gleneagles Hospitals in Malaysia.

Strategically located in the “Golden Triangle” area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Prince Court Medical Centre is a 277-bed private hospital offering a wide range of services including, among others, burns management, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, interventional cardiology, in vitro fertilisation, nephrology, occupational health, orthopaedic and rehabilitation medicine.

“Adding Prince Court Medical Centre will empower us to bring our best-in-class care and outcomes to even more patients in Malaysia and abroad. With a broader network and stronger cluster of specialised tertiary hospitals in the Klang Valley, supported by a deeper clinical talent pool, IHH can offer a wider array of services and take on more complex cases.

“This will make our facilities even more compelling for both local and foreign patients, and further reinforces Malaysia’s attractiveness as a medical travel destination,” said Joe Sim, CEO of Malaysia Operations Division at IHH.

Prince Court Medical Centre medical director Dr Kuljit Singh said: “As part of the IHH Group, Prince Court Medical Centre can leverage on its scale and track record to unlock greater synergies and enhance our suite of service offerings and delivery of value-based care.”

/CodeBlue 09-12-2019

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Fee Deregulation, Doctors still oppose Dispensing Separation

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) still does not support separating the prescribing and dispensing of medicines to doctors and pharmacists respectively, despite the deregulation of physicians’ professional charges.

The country’s largest association of doctors said various health stakeholders had agreed back in 2015 that dispensing separation could only come about in a national health financing system, or a single-payer system.

A single-payer system means health spending is primarily made by the government, rather than the current multi-payer system that sees health care payments made by the Health Ministry, the Education Ministry, other federal agencies, private insurance, corporations, and people’s own out-of-pocket payments, among others.

“It’s not only the consultation fees. We’re talking about government structure, how they’re going to do that. What about the restriction? What is the audit trail? Will there be a duplication? Will there be fraud in the prescription? Who’s going to audit that? So there are lots of factors involved.

“So MMA will only support only when we have a single-payer system, which was agreed upon by all parties,” MMA Honorary General Secretary Dr R. Arasu told radio station BFM today.

The physician also said there must first be an electronic medical record (EMR) system that integrates patients’ medical histories between public and private health facilities, pharmacies, and general practitioner (GP) clinics.

“We must make sure the building blocks are in place,” said Dr Arasu. “Until then, dispensing separation is not feasible.”

The Health Ministry recently tried to criminalise non-compliance of mandatory prescriptions upon request, but was forced to postpone subsequent readings of the Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Parliament to 2020 after physicians’ and dentists’ groups expressed outrage against proposals of incarceration and fines for rejecting patients’ prescription requests.

The Health Ministry made a surprise announcement recently that GPs, dentists and specialists in private clinics and hospitals would be free to set their own consultation fees, 13 years after the professional rates of private medical practitioners were first regulated by legislation.

Clinic GPs had long been demanding that their consultation charges of RM10 to RM35, a rate set since 1992, be increased to their hospital-based counterpart rates of RM30 to RM125.

Dr Arasu assured Malaysians today that the total encounter fee in private clinics would either remain the same or only see a “marginal increase”, despite the deregulation of family doctors’ professional charges.

“So what we foresee is that the medicine price will be reduced and the doctors will start charging appropriate consultation fees for the services they actually provide for the patients.

Dr Arasu also pointed out that the deregulation of family physicians’ consultation fees would encourage GPs to provide other health services, like preventive counseling.

/CodeBlue 12-12-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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Proposed Health Activities for 2020

Malaysia is expected to see a revamped Health Financing System (HFS) if the Cabinet approves the healthcare reform proposal by the Health Ministry.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said he planned to bring the Sihat Bersama (Health Together) 2030 proposal to the Cabinet before the end of January 2020.

A sustainable (1) HFS (2) public sector transformation through corporatisation in order to become more empowered, agile and responsive and (3) private sector regulatory reform. These are the three pillars outlined in Sihat Bersama 2030 to transform the healthcare system.

“Unless you have the HFS in place, there’s no point in bringing reform in the government and private sector, ” Dzulkefly said. He said Sihat Bersama 2030, which is the health sector’s version of the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, would enhance existing healthcare services and address issues such as the lack of funds, long waiting period, lack of medical staff, the burden of non-communicable diseases and an ageing population. It will be a comprehensive plan that will address the health systems and healthcare delivery issues in the country.

He said the purpose of the HFS was twofold – (1) to increase pooled and prepaid health financing in a sustainable, diversified manner that is equitable and affordable for households and employers and (2) to establish a well-governed health financing institution.

Once approved by the Cabinet, a task force would be set up to look into implementation studies and communication strategies.

In Sihat Bersama 2030, the electronic medical record (EMR) system that stores the records of patients in public health facilities nationwide would be introduced nationwide to cut down waiting times and enhance patient care and population health.

EMR would be made accessible to private medical centres too, and could be used for research and decision-making on public health issues, and that the ministry would request proposals from the private sector to undertake the project this year.

Meanwhile, the price control mechanism and pool procurement of medicine would be rolled out by mid-year, he said.

On other measures, Dzulkefly said housemanship training would be reduced from 24 months to 18 months, and there would be five postings for training instead of six.

He also hoped to address service delivery issues such as reducing the waiting time and congestion in public health facilities by setting up 20 clinics, having more clinics with extended hours and expanding the use of e-registration and e-wallet payments.

The government will also increase the number of virtual clinics from the current five, while selected follow-up cases could use the virtual clinics manned by the same doctors. 

On the concern over polio, the ministry has discussed with its Filipino counterpart about addressing the issue of stateless children in Sabah and the Philippines has agreed to fund polio vaccination of the children, with Unicef providing the cheaper vaccine that will be administered by NGOs.

The ministry has put in place a real-time surveillance dashboard to monitor disease outbreaks, hotspots, as well as facilities and doctors available.

When needed, district health officers would go to the ground to immunise the population at the hotspots.

As mentioned in the Budget 2020 announcement, pneumococcal vaccination will be rolled out this year, though no specific date has been set.

Meanwhile, the government will also expand the Skim Peduli Kesihatan (Peka B40) coverage to include individuals aged 40 and above from the low-income (B40) group.

Peka B40 provides health screenings and early intervention for non-communicable diseases such as cancer and mental health problems, and currently covers those aged 50 to 60.

A National Strategic Action Plan on Mental Health (2020-2025) will also be launched this year.

/theSTAR 02-01-2020

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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Malaysia 2020: Expected GDP growth at 4.8%

The government remains steadfast in the belief that Malaysia will achieve an economic growth of 4.8%  in 2020 as it expects to see positive effects from its development spending latest by June 2020, according to Finance Minister, YB Lim Guan Eng.

“We are confident about maintaining the projection, supported by a rebound in the commodity prices, growth in investment spurred especially by government spending, as well as expectations of a positive outcome to the US-China trade war, ” he told Bernama.

He was commenting on the downward revisions of the 2020 growth projections by economists. Last month, the World Bank Group trimmed its forecast of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth for this year to 4.5% from 4.6% previously on weakening investment and trade activity recorded in the third quarter of last year.

“There was no problem in terms of development expenditure for ongoing projects, but new projects would have to be brought forward to 2020 and added to Budget 2020 (for new developments), ” he pointed out. 

On the US-China trade war, Lim said the end of the dispute would be a booster or catalyst to spur the economy.“As an exporting economy, Malaysia will benefit. 

 /theSTAR 01-01-2020

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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Dengue cases Unabated

The total number of dengue cases this year has reached an all-time high with 120,871 cases recorded as of Wednesday, December 2019 This averages out to about 331 new cases reported every day.

The previous high was recorded in 2015, with 120,836 cases.

In August, Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye cautioned that the number could hit 150,000 by year-end.

The latest numbers were published on the iDengue website, which is run by the Health Ministry in collaboration with the National Space Agency.

The website, which is updated daily, noted that there have been 164 dengue-related deaths up to Nov 30, 2019 which had surpassed the 147 fatalities recorded in the whole of last year.

However, this is an improvement compared to the 336 deaths recorded in 2015.

The iDengue website provides information on hot spots, preventive measures and contact numbers of operation rooms in every state.

/theSTAR 05-12-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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Private doctors and dentists' consultation fees deregulated

Doctors and dentists in private clinics and hospitals can soon determine their own consultation fees, following a decision by the Cabinet to deregulate the fee structures and let free market reign.

The consultation fees must be displayed clearly so that patients are aware of the fees before getting treatment.The latest decision will strengthen the consumers' power to choose their doctors.

If patients are not happy with the charges or services received in any of the private facilities, they can lodge a complaint with the Private Medical Practice Control Section at ckaps.aduan@moh.my for further investigation.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who announced this, said the Cabinet had assessed the matter holistically and comprehensively as well as taken into consideration the recommendations from the National Cost of Living Council.

The Cabinet is also concerned about the need to amend the Seventh Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Private Medical Clinics and Private Dental Clinics) Regulations 2006, which has not been amended since it was enforced in 2006, he said. 

"As such, the Cabinet has agreed to abolish the control over consultation fees under Act 586.

The abolition of the fee control will include all registered facilities (in the Seventh Schedule) and licensed facilities (13th Schedule), said Dzulkefly.

The fees for GPs and dentists, as stated in the Seventh Schedule, have not changed in 27 years and doctors have been calling for the fee harmonisation as provided for in the 13th Schedule of the regulations when it was revised in 2013.

In 2013, the consultation fee was gazetted for medical officers working in private hospitals under the 13th Schedule,except for GPs and dentists working in private clinics under the Seventh Schedule.

The current fees of RM10 to RM35 for GPs and dentists practising in clinics have not been revised since 1992 while medical officers at private hospitals who have the same qualifications have been charging between RM30 and RM125 per consultation.

/theSTAR 06-12-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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2020 Rare Diseases is RM 16.5 mio

The Ministry of Health clarified that the 2020 budget for rare diseases had actually increased by RM500K to RM16.5 mio.

The total budget includes a budget allocation of RM10 mio for 2020, as well as a current provision under Radiotherapy and Oncology activities of RM6.5 mio.

The government has also developed a National Framework for Rare Disease.

To this end, the Ministry of Health had developed the National Framework for Rare Disease to establish a governance committee to integrate the management of rare disease patients in Malaysia, in a comprehensive and holistic manner that includes advocacy for public health education, screening and patient diagnosis as well as strengthening prenatal diagnosis and newborn screening, clinical management, referral systems, data collection and rare disease-related research.

/CodeBlue 06-12-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.




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Malaysia ranks 12th in World Bank’s Ease of doing Business

The "World Bank Doing Business 2020 Report" has ranked Malaysia in 12th position among 190 economies worldwide, an improvement from the 15th spot the previous year, says the International Trade and Industry Ministry.

Minister Datuk Darell Leiking said the improved ranking was due to the public and private sector members’ collaboration and commitment within the technical working groups under the Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (Pemudah) to improve the ease-of-doing-business environment.

“Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)" as the Secretariat of Pemudah works closely with the respective technical working groups to initiate and monitor the implementation of the various improvement initiatives,” he said.

Darell said Pemudah consistently launches improvement initiatives that impact positively on the ease of doing business by promoting regulatory efficiency, productivity and good governance.

He said Malaysia’s improved performance in the Doing Business 2020 Report attests that the on-going reform initiatives are on the right track to further enhance competitiveness, productivity and governance in the ease of doing business as well as to promote investments, which will accelerate national economic development and prosperity.

The Doing Business Report surveys regulations governing business activities in the economies which are then ranked according to their ease of doing business scores based on quantitative indicators of the regulations.

The report measures the processes for business incorporation, getting a building permit, obtaining an electricity connection, transferring property, accessing credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, engaging in international trade, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.

/MM 24-10-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

The Doing Business Report surveys regulations governing business activities in the economies which are then ranked according to their ease of doing business scores based on quantitative indicators of the regulations.

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Global Medical technology & Pharmaceutical MNCs turning to Malaysia

GLOBAL medical technology and pharmaceutical firms are turning to Malaysia as their investment destination, as they chart their mid-to-long term growth strategy across the region.

For biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the focus going forward will be on achieving growth through a science-led innovation strategy, its country president and managing director Dr Sanjeev Panchal said.

In March, it was reported that AstraZeneca will invest more than RM500mil in Malaysia over the next five years for a new headquarters and to roll out new robotic and cognitive technology.

With more than RM500mil in investment across 2019 to 2023 in strategic segments of its business operations, including medical, finance, clinical studies and commercial, the company will bring innovation by expanding its footprint in Malaysia.

“Beyond accelerating our innovation pipeline to patients in Malaysia, AstraZeneca is working with healthcare stakeholders to address gaps in disease management through ‘beyond the pill’ ecosystem a patient-centric approach.

“These includes strong portfolios of medical educations, diagnostics, research, diseases prevent activities and various programmes to increase affordability and access to innovative medicines, designed to achieve better healthcare outcomes for patients in Malaysia.”

Meanwhile, global medical technology company Edwards Lifesciences (Edwards) is focusing on creating more awareness of the services it provides, said Japan, Asia and Pacific strategy and business operations director Erik Ramp.

“In Malaysia, there’s growing awareness of structural heart disease. We work closely with Institut Jantung Negara and they are seeing more people coming in and asking about the devices and therapies that we provide. It’s a positive sign as it means that patients are becoming more aware of the treatments that are available.

“The diseases that we treat are not just exclusively to Malaysia. They can happen to anyone anywhere in the world. Worldwide, treatment rates for heart valve disease are traditionally very low, so it’s good that people are becoming more aware and speaking to their doctors.”

Back in April, it was reported that Edwards will be investing RM100mil in Malaysia over the next five years through its new regional business service centre, which is located at KL Eco City.

“We set up the office here in April 2019 and have grown our headcount from zero employees to 37. We’ve been able to establish a finance, IT and marketing departments to support our operations in Japan, Asia and Pacific, ” said Ramp.

“We expect a lot of our growth next year and the coming years, especially from our businesses in Japan and China. They are two of our biggest growth countries and as that grows, so will our support services here.”

He added that the RM100mil investment will comprise mostly payroll, training and development, travel budgets and capital expenditure.

AstraZeneca Asia Pacific global finance services head Madeleine Roach said the group conducted an in-depth study before deciding on a location to set its regional hub.

“We always do a thorough study of the sites that we pick and where we want to establish. Because of the investment requirements, it needs to become a hub where we can find really good talent.

“We invest a lot in upskilling and developing our people because we want to see our people advance in their careers, ” she said. AstraZeneca will also be rolling out an academy to boost its employee skills.

“The academy will focus on core skills from understanding our systems to our brands in the company, to looking into some technical areas like tax, investor relations and areas that they may not necessarily be exposed to.

“The academy will go live in October, ” she said.

Separately, Edwards’ Ramp said one of the challenges of setting up base in Malaysia is that not many people are aware of the services that the company offers.

“We are dedicated to very focused areas of medical technology. We treat structural heart disease, which is a subset of cardiovascular disease and when everyone thinks cardiovascular disease, they think heart attack. We also have technologies that help in the monitoring and treatment of those with critical illness. 

Tying up with InvestKL has helped Edwards to create that much needed awareness, said Ramp.

“InvestKL has helped us in terms of the talent market here, as well as helping us connect with other multinational companies (MNCs), ” he said.

For AstraZeneca, InvestKL has been invaluable in helping it explore new opportunities and possibilities, said Sanjeev.

“InvestKL has facilitated multiple engagements with government agencies, as well as other MNC’s, hence strengthening our company positioning as one of the preferred healthcare MNC-committed firm to support Greater Kuala Lumpur’s proposition as a regional business hub.”

“Apart from that, with this collaboration, InvestKL has assisted and supported the company to increase our visibility among the stakeholders and directing us to the preferred stakeholders to achieve our target as the biggest healthcare MNC in Malaysia, ” he said.

InvestKL acting chief executive officer Muhammad Azmi Zulkifli meanwhile is optimistic about the prospects of attracting more MNCs like AstraZeneca and Edwards into the country.

“Given the country’s ease in doing business, its transparency, efficiency and being investor-friendly, Malaysia is well positioned to become an innovation hub for MNCs looking to grow their business within Asean.”

/theSTAR 24-10-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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"Pharma Most Ethical Industry" claims MOPI

The pharmaceutical industry is the most ethical among various industries, while chemical and fertiliser industries have far worse practices, a group of Malaysian generic manufacturers said.

The Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI), a 45-member association comprising mostly local generic drug makers, said the pharmaceutical industry had several codes of ethics, as well as other such codes within each company.

“I worked for 35 years, but in the pharma industry for 12 to 15 years, and I can tell you, among many other industries, the pharma industry is the most ethical industry,” MOPI president Billy Urudra told a seminar Wednesday on good governance for medicines that was jointly organised between the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society (MPS), the Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild (MCPG), MOPI, the Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia (PhAMA), and the Malaysian Association of Pharmaceutical Suppliers (MAPS).

He also pointed out that some government-linked companies (GLCs) in the pharmaceutical industry have already signed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) integrity pledge and instituted company policy against bribery and corruption.

According to Billy, PhAMA, which mostly represents multinational drug makers, established its code of ethics in 1978, while the ethics codes of MOPI and MAPS, which represents importers of generics, were drawn up in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

He also pointed out that MACC had found no evidence of corruption in the supply of medicines to MOH in its investigation on a whistleblower’s claim that three tender agents monopolised MOH’s total medicine tenders between 2013 and 2016, worth RM3.7 billion.

“It has put out this unnecessary and tarnished image of the industry,” Billy said.

The codes of ethics in the pharmaceutical industry, he said, cover various issues related to prescription drugs, such as promotional methods, patient confidentiality, and companies’ interactions with health care professionals, like what kind of accommodation and airfare can be provided to them.

Dr Ramli Zainal, senior director of MOH’s Pharmaceutical Services Programme, said enforcement officers and government staff in logistics and pharmacy who deal with the procurement of drugs in hospitals are rotated every three to five years.

“If you look at government procurement, we have a very tight procedure. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) procedure is there. In terms of procedure it’s there, but still the element of human intervention might be there,” Dr Ramli told the seminar.

He added that MOH’s pharmaceutical programme was tightly regulated, with clear standard operating procedure (SOP) and several committees dealing with product registration.

MACC senior assistant commissioner Zakiah Hassan said public procurement was a high-risk area for corruption, noting that there is a “very high” number of cases involving public procurement in the health sector.

“We’re in the process of introducing a new law to deal with ‘ali baba’. The sale of any tenders, procurement, or contracts is an offence,” she told the seminar.

“We’ve brought this up to the government to make it an offence for any bidders to enter tenders but who ‘ali babakan’ the tenders and procurement,” she added, referring to rent seekers.

The government, Zakiah said, will also tighten laws to require companies bidding for government contracts to declare their “beneficial ownership”.

A survey on code of conduct run last May among drug distributors, wholesalers, importers, local and foreign manufacturers, and community pharmacies in Malaysia revealed that majority of companies surveyed did not have their own code of conduct, except for mostly foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers. Out of 211 respondents, only 73, or 35 per cent, had an official company policy that governs company staff’s interactions with external stakeholders and clients.

“Upstream industry players, such as distributors, manufacturers and importers, reported a higher proportion of companies with internal code of conduct,” PhAMA executive director Ewe Kheng Huat told the seminar.

“Foreign-based companies have a higher proportion of companies with internal code of conduct compared to local-based organisations.”

The activities covered in respondents’ codes of conduct included promotional activities, continuous medical education, and fees for services, among others, while the types of interactions covered were with contractors or suppliers, consumers, health care professionals, medical institutions, and patient organisations.

In general, Ewe said, most complaints about ethics in the pharmaceutical industry were related to ensuring proper and fair promotional materials.

Dr Hasenah Ali, director of the pharmacy policy and strategic planning under MOH’s pharmaceutical services programme, said the good governance in medicines (GGM) programme, which is under the Malaysian National Medicines Policy (MNMP), was launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004 to ensure the provision of safe, quality, effective, and affordable medicines within a best practice environment.

Malaysia was among the first few countries to join the initiative.

Malaysia’s GGM programme aims to strengthen the health system by promoting good governance in the pharmaceutical sector, to prevent corruption by identifying areas of vulnerability, to increase transparency and accountability in all processes related to the pharmaceutical sector, and to promote individual and institutional integrity.

Areas that are vulnerable to corruption in the pharmaceutical sector include medicines registration, promotion, and selection; licensing; inspections; and procurement.

“We plan to engage with other ministries to collaborate further on GGM initiatives, like the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, MACC, Malaysian Institute of Integrity, and Transparency International-Malaysia,” Dr Hasenah told the seminar.

/CodeBlue 01-11-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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MoH extends Pharmaniaga's supply concession

Pharmaniaga Bhd says its wholly-owned Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd has received a letter from the Ministry of Health (MOH), extending its services for the provision of medicines and medical supplies to MOH facilities.

The services were for an interim 25 months from December 1 2019 to December 31 2021, said Pharmaniaga in a statement today.

Pharmaniaga Logistics is also allowed to continue providing logistics and distribution services to MOH for five years ending December 31 2024.

In the statement, Pharmaniaga says that it remains focused in providing high standards of service and strong operational efficiency to ensure that all key performance indicators are met. In tandem,it is committed to upholding good corporate governance standards and transparent practices guided by its MS ISO 37001 Anti Bribery Management System.

Observatio: "Flip flop by the MoH?"

/NST 19-11-2019

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Patient's choice for Medicines-Source of Supply

The Ministry of Health (MOH) plans to push legal amendments to enforce mandatory prescriptions by doctors upon their patients’ request.

“This policy will empower patients and empower them to make choices about the supply of medicines either directly from their treating physician or through a pharmacist based on a prescription,” Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a parliament reply yesterday.

This follows pharmacists demanding last August for doctors to issue prescriptions so that patients can get medicines from pharmacies, as well as for the ability to charge professional consultation fees.

Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society president Amrahi Buang also called for legislation to enforce pharmacists’ consultation fees.

He requested for a review of the current government policy that mandates prescriptions only upon patients’ request — as opposed to dispensing separation — citing 2018 statistics by the Medication Error Reporting System (MERS) under the Health Ministry that found about 72 per cent of medication errors occurred during the prescribing process, of which about 93 per cent was reported by pharmacists.

Note: Could this be the start towards legislating "Dispensing Separation" in Malaysia?

/CodeBlue 01-11-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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Price Control may Impact Health Tourism Negatively

Medicine price regulations may affect Malaysia’s medical tourism, a group representing multinational pharmaceutical companies told the government.

“Medical health tourism is expected to reach RM1.8 billion by year-end, registering a 25 per cent growth. The growth is largely because patients from neighbouring countries seek treatment here, due to the relatively affordable and good private healthcare.”

“Our drugs are accessible. We have innovative medicines at affordable prices and I think the figure is a testament to that,” Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia (PhAMA) president Chin Keat Chyuan told The Malaysian Reserve.

Drug price controls would impact patients’ experience, minimise treatment options, impede access to innovative medicines and reduce Malaysia’s attractiveness as a health tourism destination, he added.

Chin further said the Health Ministry was only zooming in at single-source drugs, large multinational companies and research and development-based firms, with its proposed drug price ceilings.

“It could pull foreign investors away.”

“We do acknowledge that there is up to 900 per cent markup at multiple-source drugs, but this is largely multiple or generic drugs,” Chin pointed out.

“Free market itself will regulate prices and there will be more options for the people.”

According to the Medicine Prices Monitoring 2017 report, the maximum price markup for generics sold in private hospitals reached a whopping 900 per cent, compared to a maximum 117 per cent price markup on originator drugs sold in the same facility. Across all private retail premises, the median price markups on medicines were 108 per cent for generics and 28 per cent for innovative drugs respectively.

The Health Ministry plans to use external reference pricing (ERP) to benchmark drug prices in Malaysia against seven to eight countries by choosing the average three lowest reference prices to determine the maximum medicine prices allowed here.

Price ceilings are proposed at both the wholesale and retail levels, with violations punished by fines or incarceration.

PhAMA has proposed a price transparency mechanism, where industry players will declare their wholesale prices and the government can compare the retail prices among players.

“By doing this, it will be easier for the government to determine which area has been marked up along the value chain. What we want from the government is to not rush their decision,” Chin said, in a bid to cancel proposed medicine price controls.

PhAMA went even further to advocate mandatory wholesale price declarations for all innovative and generic medicines available in Malaysia, beyond the 400 molecules targeted for price controls.

/Malaysia Reserve 04-11-2019

Disclaimer: Views or opinions expressed are solely those of the Author and should be used with discretion. The Author shall not be held liable for any acts or omissions arising from the use of the information. The user will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising hereof.

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