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Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease — Malaysia's NCD burden mostly starts with habits formed in youth. Health experts say the time to act is now, not at 60 🏃

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians should begin prioritising their health from a young age, as early habits play a critical role in shaping quality of life in later years, experts say.

Malaysia is ageing 1.5x faster than Japan. Health Minister wants the Senior Citizens Bill passed now — so Malaysians are protected before their 60s, not after 👴

7 UMMC radiology workers developed cancer or thyroid disease after a PET-CT machine was installed. The hospital denies radiation caused it. One affected worker disagrees — and is taking legal action ⚠️

UMMC denies claims that radiation safety violations caused a cancer "cluster" in its radiology department. Three staff were diagnosed with cancer, four with thyroid diseases. The hospital says staff radiation exposure levels were…

Sarawak General Hospital is the only hospital in Southeast Asia chosen by Roche to trial a new cancer drug. Top clinical research site in Malaysia 4 years running. Borneo punching above its weight 💪

KUCHING (April 17): The Sarawak branch of Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) has become the largest in the country, with a workforce of 34, following the opening of its new office at Kozi Square, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr…

Malaysia needs 8,500 vets but has only 2,600 — that’s 1 vet per 13,700 people vs the global standard of 1:5,000. A critical shortage flying under the radar 🐾

Malaysia is facing a severe shortage of nearly 6,000 veterinarians, says the DVS, as the country only has 2,600 active vets compared to 8,500 needed. The ratio of vets to people in Malaysia is 1:13,700, far worse than the interna…

200 psychology officers serving 40,000+ Malaysians yearly see their contracts expire in August. Depression has doubled since 2019. Losing them now would be a massive step backward 🧠

Strengthening system capacity is no longer optional, but essential to meeting current and future mental health needs.

Malaysia's MOH is standardising prescription formats nationwide. Doctors must now include more details on every prescription — a small change with big implications for patient safety 📋

PETALING JAYA: Patients at Health Ministry (MOH) facilities will have their allergies and details of the medications listed out in their prescriptions soon.

RM1.8 million will upgrade Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital in Batu Pahat — part of Malaysia's push to strengthen district-level healthcare delivery across the country 🏗️

BATU PAHAT: The Health Ministry has approved a special allocation of RM1.8mil to upgrade facilities at Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital (HSNI) in an effort to strengthen healthcare service delivery for residents in the Batu Pahat di…

Galen Centre says Sabah needs full autonomy over healthcare hiring — like Sarawak — to fix its 6,000-doctor shortfall. The current federal system is too slow and too rigid 🩺

The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy says the current system is too slow and rigid to respond to the state’s realities.

Specialist nurses in Malaysia earn a post-basic allowance of RM100/month. It hasn't changed in 17 years. The MMA wants it raised to at least RM500. This is long overdue 💊

KUCHING (April 18): The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called for an urgent review of the long-standing RM100 monthly post-basic allowance for specialist nurses, describing it as a test of national leadership and commitm…

Malaysia is pushing for an ASEAN Declaration on Rare Diseases. For 12,000 patients across ~500 rare conditions, pooled regional procurement could mean life-changing access 🧬

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will bring forward the Asean Declaration on Rare Diseases at the upcoming Asean Health Ministers’ Meeting, as part of efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in accessing expensive treatments and…

5,000 housemanship slots opened. Only 529 doctors showed up. And 40% refuse positions even when offered. Sabah's doctor crisis is not a numbers problem — it's a system failure 🏥

THE clinic opens before sunrise, but the line has already formed. Some patients have travelled for hours, crossing rivers or navigating damaged roads just to reach basic care. Inside, cases accumulate quickly, and the responsibil…

76% of seniors have high cholesterol, 73% hypertension, 39% diabetes — only 14.7% are ageing well. NHMS 2025 is a stark wake-up call on Malaysia's chronic disease crisis 📊

PUTRAJAYA: Only about 14% of senior citizens are ageing well while the majority are battling chronic disease and frailty, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

First dental visit by age one. That's the recommendation Malaysian dentists are pushing — because childhood tooth decay is far more common than parents realise 🦷

Dr Ashwini M Madawana @ Madawan sheds light on the common dental issues affecting children and the steps parents can take to prevent them.

Malaysia's medical insurance claims hit RM9.4 billion in 2025 — up 5.3%. Medical inflation is running at 11–12% annually. Premiums will keep rising unless private healthcare costs are controlled 💊

PETALING JAYA: Medical inflation could have contributed to the high medical claims payout in 2025, says Dr Saravanan Thambirajah.

A Malaysian doctor just doubled the 1-year survival rate for advanced pancreatic cancer in a landmark trial. Dr M Devalingam's results are published in Nature Medicine. Proud moment for Malaysian medicine 🩺

An experimental drug doubled the one-year survival rate for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, offering fresh hope against one of the deadliest cancers.

A Malaysian doctor just doubled the 1-year survival rate for advanced pancreatic cancer in a landmark trial. Dr M Devalingam's results are published in Nature Medicine. Proud moment for Malaysian medicine 🩺

An experimental drug doubled the one-year survival rate for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, offering fresh hope against one of the deadliest cancers.

Sarawak General Hospital is the only hospital in Southeast Asia chosen by Roche to trial a new cancer drug. Top clinical research site in Malaysia 4 years running. Borneo punching above its weight 💪

KUCHING (April 17): The Sarawak branch of Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) has become the largest in the country, with a workforce of 34, following the opening of its new office at Kozi Square, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr…

Malaysia's NKF is considering cutting dialysis from 3 sessions to 2 per week for some patients if global supply shortages worsen. 55,000+ kidney failure patients are watching this closely 🏥

To address a shortage of dialysis products, NKF moots reducing dialysis frequency. Maaedicare and Socso are monitoring stock levels. A nephrologist urges MOH to form a nephrology task force and activate a central command structur…

7 UMMC radiology workers developed cancer or thyroid disease after a PET-CT machine was installed. The hospital denies radiation caused it. One affected worker disagrees — and is taking legal action ⚠️

UMMC denies claims that radiation safety violations caused a cancer "cluster" in its radiology department. Three staff were diagnosed with cancer, four with thyroid diseases. The hospital says staff radiation exposure levels were…

Fentanyl is 100× stronger than morphine. If it takes root in Malaysia, experts warn the healthcare system won't cope. The zombie drug isn't a distant threat anymore ⚠️

KUALA LUMPUR: Fentanyl could rapidly reshape the local drug landscape and strain an already stretched healthcare system if syndicates penetrate the market, a criminologist warned.

First Malaysian-born scientist wins the “Science Oscar.” Professor Swee Lay Thein earns global recognition for her work on blood disorders, putting Malaysia on the map in precision medicine. This is what world-class research looks like.🧬

PETALING JAYA: Consultant haematologist Dr Thein Swee Lay has won one of the six 2026 Breakthrough Prizes – the first Malaysian-born scientist to do so.

Malaysia's medical device supply is stable — for now. Health Minister says no disruptions expected as resin and naphtha negotiations with China continue 🔬

JOHOR BAHRU, April 18 — The government is focused on ensuring adequate supplies of raw materials for medical devices, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.He...

350 healthcare professionals from Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan & Brunei gathered to tackle one of Borneo's biggest gaps: specialist skin care in rural areas. Decentralise or leave patients behind 🏥

MIRI (April 18): The recent Borneo Dermatology Update (BDU) 2026 brought together 350 healthcare professionals from Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan and Brunei to improve access to specialised skin care in rural areas. Held at Miri Hospita…