| Interview |
MAY , 2021 | THE HEALTH
13
How important is research and development ( R & D ) to the MoH in managing healthcare issues in the country ? Medicine is a rapidly evolving field . Information and knowledge learned in medical school tend to become obsolete as the years go by . Thus , we cannot separate R & D from medicine as it is part and parcel of the healthcare system .
And in MoH , we value R & D because that is how we make sure that our people receive the best care for the whole range of service that we provide . Now , along with the entire country , we are looking into R & D innovation and commercialisation in healthcare .
When Covid-19 first appeared , IMR quickly developed sets of primers and probes even before any manufacturer came up with diagnostic tools .
Recently , we also created another research unit . The engineering unit developed the 3D printed ventilators and then the splitter for the ventilators to be used by two people .
Other research areas include precision medicine , health system research and utilising digital health , Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) and big data .
What is your take on the current situation where there is a daily rise of Covid-19 cases ? About two weeks after implementing MCO 2.0 , we could see a decline in cases . We then started to ease restrictions by opening up schools , allowing mobility and travelling across States . The onus is on members of the public . Although they can move about , they
| Advertorial | should strictly conform to the new norms and practice social distancing practices . But unfortunately , this is not happening , and social behaviour is challenging to control . Now , we can see the numbers rising again .
If the R Number ( R0 ) does not go below 1 ( one ), there will be a transmission . There are concerns about whether our healthcare system can cope .
How effective are the vaccines against mutated variants of the virus ? According to the UK data , the AstraZeneca vaccine , whereby over 20 million doses have been inoculated , is still effective against the B117 variant . A study in Brazil shows that Sinovac is still efficacious against the P1 variant , which is quite virulent .
So , looking at the data from other countries so far , the current vaccines are still effective against the new variants . However , the efficacy may not be as high . It means the vaccine may not prevent infection , but it certainly will prevent severe disease and death .
However , there are concerns that the virus may further evolve to escape mutation , whereby it could evade immunity conferred by prior infections or vaccines .
When do you expect the vaccination rollout to end ? The initial aim was to complete the target by February next year . But suppose the manufacturers can ramp up the production and give us the supplies . In that case , we could probably do it by the third quarter or latest by the fourth quarter this year .
We hope we can reach the target by the third quarter and we have made sure to procure more than 100 per cent of the population . This ensures that we have a buffer because we never know when we will be required to give more .
What is your view on the proposal to establish a National Vaccine Centre ( NVC ), presented by MOSTI under the 12th Malaysia Plan ? I think it is long overdue . We need to be self-sustaining and not rely on China , Germany , the USA or Europe to get vaccine supplies .
However , it will require a lot of capital expenditure , and it will take some time . A few areas need to be developed : the preclinical studies platform ; facilities for animal testing ; facilities for clinical trial phase 1 , phase 2 , phase 3 and postmarketing phase 4 ; the regulatory aspect ; and the vaccine manufacturing facilities .
It should be a collaborative effort . Though the NVC may be the main centre , the components may be spread out amongst all the other agencies such as MoH , IMR and National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency ( NPRA ). — The Health
Parents ’ Day care unhindered by pandemic
“ I specially want to give Green Kale to my parents this year , because its nutritional content is what they really need !”
Mum and dad stay warmly in our heart , but they are getting older and not as healthy as before .
They always say : “ I ’ m old , I can ’ t do anything anymore .” How sad to hear this !
I have now grown up and know how to take care and honour them . As Parents ’ Day is approaching , I will give them a gift of health .
“ Finish the meat , you can leave the vegetables .”
This was what my parents told me : “ More meat and less vegetables ”, and over the years it resulted in an acidic physique leading to tiredness , gastrointestinal discomfort , colds , and various illnesses .
In the era of vegetarian , the notion of “ more meat and less vegetables ” is now replaced by “ more vegetables and
less meat ”. However , many elderlies are inconvenienced by chewing , poor appetite and slow mobility ; thus , reducing their intake of vegetables and increasing the risk of nutritional imbalance . According to the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines , we are required to consume three servings of vegetables daily , but our elderly parents find it difficult to take even one serving of fresh and nutritious vegetables .
To overcome this problem , Abeille D ’ or had come up with Green Kale , an innovative , simple and convenient nutritional product that mums and dads can alternatively get their daily intake of vegetables from . Green Kale is developed from kale which is especially valued by experts in cruciferous vegetables .
It contains a variety of nutrients and is also known as the Superfood . It is exactly what our elderly parents need . Dietary fibre , of course , is essential for defecation and the maintenance of a healthy gut .
The manufacturing process of kale is very specific . It is picked early in the morning at its freshest and most nutritious state and sent immediately to the factory where it is powdered at low temperatures to ‘ lock ’ its highest nutritional value in the package .
It is made with Yakult technology , with no chemical fertilisers or pesticides , no added colours or preservatives , making it an absolutely premium product .
If our parents are having difficulty in consuming vegetables , let them “ drink ” it . With Green Kale , we no longer need to worry about our elderly parent ’ s vegetables intake .
It is the best choice to keep our mum and dad healthy .