HALAL
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MARCH-APRIL-MAY, 2020 | The Health Xtra
13
Halal treatment
and vaccine for Covid-19
BY KHIRTINI K. KUMARAN
the two most aff ected Muslim groups are the patients and the
healthcare workers.
While the healthcare personnel work long hours, the patients
may be too sick to do anything. Obligatory practices like solat
is a must despite a person being ill as a patient or busy as a
healthcare worker.
Despite that, she adds, Islam being a compassionate religion,
has specifi ed all the guidelines for this matter and allows rukh-
sah or concession based on the severity of the patients and the
staff condition.
“The general public needs to practice a high level of pre-
caution when coming to information related to the so-called
traditional (halal) or alternative treatment available in the net
as many of them have not undergone proper scientifi c study,”
Dr Norsidah advised.
Instead, she recommended the guidelines and information
provided by the Ministry of Health and the National Pharma-
ceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
Dr Norsidah urged the public to follow the instructions given
by the Health Director-General, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah
and the Majlis Keselamatan Negara to practice social distancing
and isolation, strict personal hygiene and to stay at home.
There is a clear guideline in the hadith, when faced with an
infectious disease, such as Covid-19. It speaks of prevention of
its spread being extremely important apart from getting the
treatment. — The Health Xtra
PRESERVATION OF LIFE is paramount, and as
such, the use of halal medicine will be added
value for Muslims.
Amrahi Buang, the President of Malaysian
Pharmaceutical Society (MPS), said during the
current pandemic situation, in the context of
halalness in medicine, and according to the
Maqasid Syariah principles, current guidelines
regarding halal medication were suffi cient.
He stressed this was especially so when it
involved life-saving medicines for life-threat-
ening situations, such as this pandemic.
“The current treatment protocols adminis-
tered for Covid-19 patients do not have an issue in
terms of halal,” said Amrahi, adding that the use
of pharmaceutical intoxicants, such as ethanol,
tranquilisers, hypnotics and anaesthetics, under
prescribed doses were undoubtedly allowed.
Apart from medical treatment protocols, there
was also traditional and alternative medications.
“For example, in China, some hospitals used
both forms of treatments, medical and tradi-
tional. However, these traditional treatments
were considered complementary,” he pointed
out.
As many pharmaceutical companies around
the world are urgently researching to develop a
viable vaccine for Covid-19, there are concerns
in the Muslim community about its halal status.
Amrahi said: “The time is right to develop
halal vaccines for Covid-19 and done according to
Halal Pharmaceuticals Standard - MS2424:2019,
which includes the manufacture of vaccines.
Malaysia should take the lead right from the
beginning. As we know, halal certifi cation is
voluntary.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has
invited Malaysia to collaborate with its global
The time is right
to develop halal
vaccines for
Covid-19 and done
according to Halal
Pharmaceuticals
Standard -
MS2424:2019,
which includes the
manufacture of
vaccines. Malaysia
should take the
lead right from
the beginning.
As we know, halal
certification is
voluntary.”
— Amrahi Buang
mega-research to develop vaccines for Covid-19.
Amrahi noted this collaboration served as a
suitable platform for Malaysia. Along with the
Halal Pharmaceuticals Standard - MS2424:2019,
development of a halal vaccine should be a non-
issue and can be done right without delay.
He hoped Malaysian companies, such as
Duopharma Biotech and Pharmaniaga, would
be involved in the development for halal vaccines
for the world. — The Health Xtra