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THE HEALTH | JUNE-JULY , 2021
| Local News |
LKL diversifies into gloves , PPE and makes private placement
CRM achieves formation goals
LKL International Bhd ( LKL ) has proposed to diversify into the rubber gloves and personal protective equipment ( PPE ) business .
The company has also proposed a private placement of up to 355.05 million shares at an issue price to be determined later , of which proceeds will be utilised for the new businesses .
LKL said recently that after taking into consideration the current market demand for rubber gloves and PPE following the Covid-19 pandemic , the group had resolved to venture into the new businesses .
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed a critical shortage of supplies for medical gloves and put a strain on these healthcare supplies . The market for disposable rubber gloves rose in the past year and laid a solid foundation for future growth . Despite the introduction of various Covid-19 vaccines , vaccination progress has been slow in most countries , especially in the emerging markets .
The group is currently involved in the manufacturing of medical / healthcare beds , medical peripherals , and accessories , as well as the trading of medical furniture , medical devices , medical peripherals and accessories . The group has also intended to enter into distribution agreements with suppliers of rubber gloves and PPE .
PATIENTS with Coronary Artery Disease ( CAD ) in Malaysia can now opt for an advanced treatment solution that yields better and more promising outcomes .
Intravascular Ultrasound ( IVUS ) technology , a diagnostic tool that is used in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ( PCI ) procedures , uses sound waves to generate detailed imaging of the heart blood vessels and provides cross-sectional views of the artery , giving doctors information on the nature of blockages or compositions within one ’ s heart and aiding practitioners in developing treatment plans for patients .
“ This is a big step forward for cardiology in Malaysia . IVUS technology allows us to view a patient ’ s heart from the inside-out , giving us the information , we need to perform the procedure and to choose the most appropriate device .
“ I encourage more doctors to use IVUS during their PCI procedures to get the best outcome ,” said Datuk Dr Tamil Selvan Muthusamy , Consultant Cardiologist at Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur ( CVSKL ) who has performed more than 100 IVUS-
“ The proposed diversification allows the group to capitalise on the increasing demand for rubber gloves and PPE while making the most out of the opportunities created by the Covid-19 pandemic .
“ It will also provide an additional revenue stream to the group ’ s current core business ,” it said .
Based on the illustrative issue price of RM0.16 per placement share , some RM56.81 million to be raised from the proposed private placement would be utilised for the trading of
Lower risks of recurring heart blockages
Dr Tamil Selvan and Dr Rosli
guided procedures .
IVUS is proven to be more effective in treating CAD . A 3-year study was conducted to determine the percentages of patients who had recurring blockages after undergoing stent procedure ( also known as Target Vessel Failure , TVF ). This extensive study found that only 6.6 per cent patients who underwent IVUS-guided procedures had TVF . It is a significantly lower than the 10.7 per cent patients who faced TVF when not using IVUS for their procedures .
This data emphasises IVUS ’ s capabilities to help reduce the chances of TVF by almost half . The use of IVUS could improve the long-term results of angioplasty with stent rubber gloves and PPE , setting up new storage facilities , and defray expenses for the proposals .
LKL said it reasonably expects its future participation in the new businesses may result in the diversion of more than 25 per cent of the net assets of LKL Group , and may result in contributing 25 per cent or more of the group ’ s net profits .
As such , it said the company had proposed to seek the approval from the shareholders for the proposed diversification .
implantation . “ IVUS is not just beneficial prior and during a heart treatment procedure . It is also an important tool to help doctors achieve better procedural results . With IVUS , doctors can get a clear look of the final stent expansions , reduce the chances of post-procedure complications thus achieving better long-term outcomes as shown in numerous studies .
“ It helps to minimise the need for subsequent interventions . Importantly , we can provide higher assurance and confidence to our patients ,” said Datuk Dr Rosli Mohd Ali , Consultant Cardiologist at CVSKL . He too has performed more than 100 IVUS-guided procedures in CVSKL .
CLINICAL Research Malaysia ( CRM ), a site management organisation owned by the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) has successfully achieved its formation objective in 2020 , as highlighted in its Annual Report 2020 . The report was launched on May 31 , 2021 by Minister of Health Dato ’ Sri Dr Adham Baba in CRM ’ s Facebook Live event .
CRM was established in 2012 as an Entry Point Project under the Healthcare National Key Economic Area . The vision was to drive more sponsored research into the country , contributing towards the economy and societal gains . By end of 2020 , CRM has succeeded in all its formation goals which saw 1591 new sponsored research , with more than 2000 skilled jobs created and RM608 million Gross National Income ( GNI ) generated , making it one of the few successful government-owned organisations that have delivered the targets it was set to achieve .
To date , Malaysia has over 200 hospitals and health care centers that have conducted sponsored research , “ Clinical trials bring hope and potentially offer better treatment options to patients as they may benefit from receiving the latest and innovative treatment options that may not yet be available in a country ,” said Dr Adham .
Moving forward , CRM looks to expand its business into home health nursing , study material destruction and using social media to attract more research opportunities . Within the CRM team , the management and employees will continue to embrace teamwork , empowerment , and communication by further escalating on the company ’ s endeavours of its four key strategies , delivering operations excellence with the continued progress of clinical research in Malaysia .
Ronald McDonald House in Hospital Tunku Azizah
THE THIRD Ronald McDonald House in the country is officially opened and now welcomes families of pediatric patients seeking treatment at Hospital Tunku Azizah , formerly known as Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-Kanak Kuala Lumpur .
The Ronald McDonald House