Search the health news archive.

🌱 Sarawak’s Benefit Sharing Agreement with Iban communities will turn the Engkerebai plant – used for dyeing and skin remedies – into high‑value cosmeceuticals. It ensures indigenous communities share the profits as the global market booms.

KUCHING (Nov 5): Sarawak’s indigenous Engkerebai plant (Psychotria viridiflora) could soon be developed into a high-value cosmeceutical product following the signing of the state’s fourth Benefit Sharing Agreement (BSA). The plan…

👁️ KPJ Healthcare’s 2nd Eye Conference gathered over 300 eye‑care experts to share the latest on cataract and refractive surgery. Topics ranged from AI‑assisted planning to premium lenses – collaboration fuels better vision for Malaysians!

The conference, from Nov 1 to Nov 2, centred on the theme ‘Cataract & Refractive Surgery: Sharpening Our Vision for the Future’.

❤️ Miri MP secures RM14.5m for a new invasive cardiology lab at Miri Hospital while raising alarms about dialysis‑supply shortages. The upgrade will boost cardiac care and spare Sarawakians long trips for treatment. Equitable healthcare for all!

MIRI (Nov 5): Miri MP Chiew Choon Man has brought public concerns over a shortage of essential dialysis supplies directly to Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, while also securing a major upgrade for the region’…

⚠️ More than 800 people – including kids, seniors and special‑needs folks – fell ill with severe diarrhoea after a family day at a Selangor theme park. Victims were hospitalised; kitchen closed for 2 weeks and legal action looms. Food safety matters!

Report claims that the park management has not offered any compensation to the affected staff of the government agency that was holding its family day event.

Malaysia’s health system stands at a crossroads — burnout, brain drain, and fragmented reforms threaten its future. Dr Khor Swee Kheng outlines five urgent fixes before GE16 to save our nation’s healthcare.

These are not ordinary times for Malaysia’s health system. In 2025, there are five highly significant policy decisions that may determine the path for the nation’s health system in the coming decades. This article will examine th…

Malaysian cancer patients face dangerous treatment delays — insurers questioning doctors, downgrading procedures, and rejecting claims. Time lost can cost lives. Insurance shouldn’t dictate care.

PETALING JAYA : Ideal cancer treatment options for insured patients are being delayed, with insurance companies ignoring clinical needs and dictating terms, including downgrading medical procedures, says National Cancer Society o…

85% of Malaysia’s drug arrests are for minor possession, not trafficking. Prof Adeeba calls for decriminalisation and treatment-based approaches instead of punishment 🚨

Prof Adeeba says 85% of drug arrests in Malaysia involve users or those caught with small amounts. Malaysian drug law blurs the line between trafficking and use. Deputy Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni says laws still stuck in the…

Malaysia is considering decriminalising drug use — shifting focus from punishment to treatment. The Health Ministry says addiction should be seen as a health issue, not a crime 🚀

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The government has formed a technical working committee to study the decriminalising of drug use and small possession, and could possibly look into removing...

A 24-year-old youth was awarded RM7.4 million after medical negligence at Hospital Sultanah Aminah led to the amputation of both legs and fingers. One of Malaysia’s highest payouts for medical negligence 🚨

A 22-year-old man receives RM7.4 million in damages after medical negligence at a government hospital resulted in the amputation of his left hand and right leg.

Sarawak activist Voon Shiak Ni says Malaysia should regulate social media influencers who give professional advice — like China, where only certified experts can do so. Ensuring truth and safety online is now a national duty. ⚖️

KUCHING (Nov 2): Malaysia should emulate China in regulating social media influencers by requiring them to be professionally qualified before offering any form of advice, said social activist Voon Shiak Ni. She said as digital in…

Sarawak enters a new era of digital healthcare 💡 CelcomDigi & HPUNIMAS launch MediRover and MediDoc, bringing 5G-powered telehealth and AI diagnostics to remote communities — bridging the gap for thousands in rural areas.

KUCHING (Nov 2): Healthcare accessibility in Sarawak has entered a new digital era with the launch of MediRover and MediDoc – two innovative telehealth solutions, bringing healthcare to underserved communities across the state. J…

AI-powered lung screening in Malaysia detected 22 lung cancer cases in just 2 months from 3,482 X-rays — enabling faster diagnosis and treatment for high-risk groups like smokers and industrial workers. 🚀

Health Ministry's AI lung screening finds 22 cancer cases from 3,482 X-rays, enabling faster detection and early treatment for patients.

Contaminated Thai herbal inhalers have been recalled after reports of irritation. Experts say vulnerable users could get lung infections and some ingredients may trigger asthma 🌿

Screening since 2016 found 58 428 Form Four thalassaemia carriers out of 1.8 M tested. Early detection cuts cases and the minister plans to halve births with wider premarital/antenatal tests 🩸

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 1 — A total of 58,428 Form Four students screened since 2016 have been detected as thalassemia carriers, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.He...

Flu cases in Malaysia are finally dropping 🦠👇 MOH reports fewer influenza-like illness consultations and hospital admissions in ME43/2025, with schools still the main cluster sites. Stay masked, vaccinate yearly, and protect the vulnerable.

Sabah’s Dr Sabrina Mohammad is breaking barriers — the first OKU medical doctor to serve Malaysian pilgrims during Hajj. Her journey from Sepanggar to Makkah shows that true leadership knows no limits 💪

KOTA KINABALU (Nov 1): The remarkable success of Dr Sabrina Mohammad stands as an inspiration for Sabah’s youth, especially women and Persons with Disabilities (OKU), proving that physical limitations are no obstacle to achieving…

🚨 No self-test kits for influenza are approved in Malaysia. Health Minister urges public to seek medical attention if symptomatic — beware of fake or unapproved kits being sold online. 🧪

Individuals showing symptoms of influenza are advised to seek immediate medical attention at clinics or hospitals, as there is currently no policy permitting the use of self-testing kits for the disease, said Health Minister Datu…

Strong public–private partnerships can help close Malaysia’s urban–rural healthcare gap. Deputy PM Fadillah says digital transformation and telemedicine are key to ensuring equal access for all Malaysians. 💻🏥

KUCHING: Strong partnerships between public and private sectors are essential for expanding healthcare access to rural communities according to Deputy Prime

A Malaysian doctor just made history 💪 She’s the first Malaysian Indian professional bodybuilder — proving strength, discipline, and breaking barriers can go hand in hand in medicine and muscle.

Malaysia’s medical inflation is set to soar to 16% in 2026, one of the highest in ASEAN. Rising costs, aging population, and lifestyle diseases are driving the surge 🏥💸

PETALING JAYA: The rising cost of healthcare in Malaysia shows no sign of slowing down, with the country’s medical inflation forecast to accelerate even further next year, according to a new report.The 2026 Global Medical Trend R…

They’re not doctors, but they save lives. Malaysia’s community health workers walk dark alleys and brave stigma to bring HIV care, meds, and hope to those society forgets ❤️‍🩹

When most people are winding down at home after a nine-hour workday, Muhammad Fitri Abu Bakar is just beginning another kind of mission. As dusk falls, he walks through narrow alleyways behind buildings or low-cost flats — places…

“Policies alone can’t stop bullying in hospitals,” warns MMA president Dr Thirunavukarasu. Calls for real enforcement and cultural change to end intimidation in Malaysia’s public hospitals 🏥

Malaysian Medical Association president urges stronger enforcement and cultural change as healthcare workers continue to face intimidation and silence within hospital hierarchies

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad says doctors can claim new on‑call allowances from Nov 1: weekend active call pay rises to RM300 for medical officers and RM350 for specialists. Transfer allowances for Sabah and Sarawak posts are being studied 👩‍⚕️

Dr Dzul says medical officers can claim new ETAP rates on Nov 1. MOF is considering transfer allowances for contract MOs offered permanent posts in Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysia is also finalising bilateral deals on ethical recruit…

World Bank warns Malaysia could face an elderly‑care crisis: people 65 plus may reach 20 % by 2056 yet social pensions cover under 10 %. It urges expanded safety nets for seniors 🧓

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 30): Malaysia could face an elderly care crisis unless it boosts funding to widen social pension coverage, with its population aged 65 and over projected to reach a fifth by 2056, the World Bank warned today. Ma…