The Health October 2020 | Page 5

| Local News | october , 2020 | The Health

05

MMAG buys new digital health solutions company

IT firm MMAG Holdings

Berhad is moving into digital health solutions by buying Maasdots Sdn Bhd from BrilliantID Sdn Bhd . Maasdots has plans to work together with eMedAsia Sdn Bhd - an associate company of MSCM Holdings Bhd - in the implementation of certain services to ensure maximum coverage and network penetration for users , said MMAG in response to Bursa Malaysia ’ s query .
Recently , MSCM announced it was investing RM2 million for a 20 per cent stake in eMedAsia , which is majority held by Koperasi Persatuan Perubatan Malaysia ( KOOP MMA ), the investment vehicle for members of the Malaysian Medical Association ( MMA ).
A digital project initiative started by KOOP MAA , eMedAsia aims to empower private clinics to leverage its digital platform technology to procure medicine , provide telemedicine services and access other healthcare-related services , The Edge Markets reported .
“ The company is also in early talks with a party to acquire aircraft and licences , for which we will make the necessary announcements when our disclosure obligation arises ,” MMAG added .
In a related filing , MMAG explained that Maasdot , which has yet to commence its business , will be focusing on the management , integration and implementation of an end-to-end health screening system namely Travellers Advanced Health Screening System ( TAHSS ).
“ This system is ready to be integrated with local health , travel and immigration authorities and is used for the screening of inbound and outbound visitors to the country . The TAHSS application allows the government to manage and enforce travel procedures to its country either by air , sea or land ,” according to MMAG .
As at Sept 10 , Maasdots had yet to commence its business but is in the midst of exploring working with partners in several countries to market TAHSS , it said . Maasdots is also in talks with the relevant Ministries and agencies in the Malaysian Government , it added .
The proposed acquisition will provide a timely opportunity for the group to venture into the digital health solutions space , MMAG said , and that its board believes the business has the potential of becoming another revenue stream for the group ’ s existing business .

Extend contracts of govt doctors to 10 years , urges MMA

Malacca government wants action if MoH staff misinformed rep ’ s Covid test result
The Malacca government said it will take action against federal health officers if investigations find they had misinformed a State Assemblyman that he was free of Covid-19 infection .
A Malacca assemblyman came forward recently to say that he had contracted Covid-19 after returning from the Sabah election campaign , but he claimed that the Alor Gajah district health office initially told him the results from his test at the airport were negative , before saying a day later that he had actually tested positive .
“ After discussing with the State health office yesterday , I asked for improvements to be made and the investigation will continue in relation to this matter , and if it is due to staff or officer factors , action will be taken against all those involved ,” Malacca state health and anti-drug executive councillor Rahmad Mariman told a press conference at Ayer Molek , Malacca , Astro Awani reported .
According to Rahmad , the state government is seriously taking this issue of alleged technical error involving the Alor Gajah district health office and that further investigations are being done to find out the real cause . The district health office is under the federal Ministry of Health ( MoH ).
He also said that based on preliminary investigations , it is found that this is the first time such a mistake has happened not only in Malacca , but in Malaysia .
“ I see that there are a few technical weaknesses that caused it to happen .”
The Assemblyman , who did not have any symptoms of the coronavirus infection , said that he cut his quarantine band , after he was informed about his negative test results and visited Seri Negeri Complex , the state secretariat building , to attend to some matters .
Although he did not want to blame any party for the mistake , he hoped that information could be properly coordinated to avoid bigger mistakes .
The Malaysian Medical Association ( MMA ) called on the government to look into permanent contract extensions for healthcare workers as a long-term solution .
While it applauded the health ministry ’ s recent announcement that contracts of 2,070 medical , dental and pharmaceutical officers would be extended by a further six months on a one-off basis , MMA urged the government to look into a 10-year extended contract for all doctors .
“ This should not be looked at as an expense but rather an investment in the next generation of specialists .
“ In the long run , the extension of contracts to 10 years will translate into savings for the government as we will have ample trained specialists without the need to import specialists ,” said its president Dr
( MoH ), Ministry of Finance ( MoF ) and the Attorney-General ’ s Chambers ( AGC ).
“ We are also in direct discussion with other international pharmaceutical companies for direct supply without having to undergo the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access ( COVAX ) allocation plan .
“ I have also requested for an agreement with China to be finalised as soon as possible as the draft is almost completed ,” he said after launching the first wireless
Subramaniam Muniandy in a statement .
He said while healthcare costs were on the rise , maintaining long-term permanent positions was inevitable , and that issues such as brain drain , adequate specialist training and self-esteem among junior doctors should also be taken into consideration .
The health ministry announced that the extension was on top of the previous six-month extension given to those whose contracts were set to expire this year or had already expired late 2019 .
The latest extension involves 79 medical officers , 852 dental officers and 1,139 pharmaceutical officers who have completed their mandatory service . The total budget approved for the extension is RM81 million . — FMT
mobile phone charger in Malaysia known as METT ( Malaysian Energy Transmission Technology ) recently .
Khairy said negotiations with COVAX on Malaysia ’ s participation in the facility to obtain the required Covid-19 vaccine are ongoing .
“ We are still discussing some matters with COVAX . The facility is for early purchase , so the procurement model is quite extraordinary . We pay for something that still doesn ’ t exist ,” he said .
Malaysia ’ s palm producers to recruit prisoners , ex-drug addicts to solve coronavirus-driven labour crunch
Malaysia ’ s labour-reliant palm oil companies are looking to recruit recovering drug addicts and prisoners to solve a severe shortage of foreign workers that has worsened due to a coronavirusdriven border closure .
Planters in the world ’ s second largest producer have in recent months embarked on rare recruitment drives to hire locals to do everything from harvesting to fertilising , but response has been lukewarm .
“ We are even reaching out to Department of Orang Asli Development , the Drug Prevention Association of Malaysia , as well as the Prisons Department in search of locals ,” industry group the Malaysian Palm Oil Association ( MPOA ) said in a statement recently .
The collaboration with the Prisons Department to recruit parolees and prisoners under supervision first started in 2016 in one government-linked firm , but now more companies are interested in the programme , chief executive Nageeb Wahad told Reuters .
Travel and movement restrictions have left the Southeast Asian nation grappling with a shortage of 37,000 workers , nearly 10 per cent of the total workforce , CNA reported .
Migrants from Indonesia and Bangladesh make up nearly 85 per cent of plantation hands in an industry locals typically shun as dirty , dangerous and difficult .
MPOA wants to rebrand the industry as “ dignified , disciplined and decent ”.