China wife runs off with child

BY LOH FOON FONG 
FOONFONG@THESTAR.COM.MY

Published: Thursday July 18, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Thursday July 18, 2013 MYT 7:40:13 AM

Help us find them: Neoh (right) and Chong holding up pictures of Jin Hui and Fang Li.

KUALA LUMPUR: Contractor Neoh Lye Heng was a happy man when he found a wife from China through a matchmaking agency in 2005. But his happiness has now been shattered as the love of his life has suddenly run away from home taking their son.

Neoh, 53, from Ayer Itam in Penang, said that when he returned home on July 9, he could not find 43-year-old Fang Li or their three-year-old son Neoh Jin Hui. He has also been unable to contact her via phone.

“Our relationship has been loving and I did not expect this,” he said at a press conference at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department on Tuesday.

Neoh, who broke down twice during the press conference, urged Fang to return their son as he is a Malaysian. He also lodged a police report on July 11.

Neoh said he checked with the Immigration Department last Sunday and was told that both his wife and son were still in the country.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Depart­ment head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said he had received reports on 16 cases of foreign wives running away, taking along the children.

“The women are mainly from Vietnam, Indonesia and China and they tend to run off with their children,” he said.

He said that so far, with the assistance of matchmaking agencies, only the children in two cases had been returned. He added that the chances of children being returned was less than 10%.

“I am concerned about the number of runaway foreign wives. There has already been seven cases this year alone,” he added.

He said many men in similar situations had difficulty getting access to their children when they were taken away.

Chong said it was also difficult to get the wives to sign divorce papers and hence the men could not remarry. Moreover, advertising for their return and payment for the flight fare would cost thousands of ringgit.

On the possible reason for foreign wives running away, Chong said most of the men were much older than the women and they possibly had different expectations.

Anyone who has seen Fang and the couple’s son can call the department at 03-2203 3888.

Residential panels to link local authorities and urban folks

The Star
Published: Thursday July 18, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Thursday July 18, 2013 MYT 7:40:27 AM

PUTRAJAYA: People living in the urban areas will have their own residential committees to look into their common welfare by next year, says Urban Well­being, Housing and Local Government Minis­ter Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

He said the Residents’ Representative Committees (JPP) would be similar to the Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) set up in the villages.

“A proposal paper will be presented to the Cabinet by next month. It will be an equivalent to the JKKK, where the chairman will be paid an allowance by the Government and he will take care of his own residential area,” he said yesterday.

Abdul Rahman said that currently, there was no formal structure linking residents and the local authorities to look into the welfare of urban folks.

Asked if the JPP’s role was similar to that of the Residents’ Association (RA), he said that the RA did not have formal relationships with the local authorities.

On whether the JPP duties would overlap with local councillors’ role, Abdul Rahman said the latter’s role were too general and did not represent any constituencies.

“With the JPP, its chairman will sit in the Residents’ Representatives Council meetings and could bring up issues such as drainage, electricity, safety and crime.

“It will be a formal channel for the people to voice their opinions and complaints,” he added.

He said the number of JPP members to be appointed nationwide and the size of each JPP would be decided later.

Some 70,000 medical devices to be registered in next two years, says Subramaniam

The Star
Published: Tuesday July 2, 2013 MYT 1:33:00 PM 
Updated: Tuesday July 2, 2013 MYT 6:40:16 PM

By LOH FOON FONG

PETALING JAYA: More than 70,000 medical devices will be registered in the next two years following the implementation of the Medical Device Act 2012 and its regulations which came into operation July 1.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said that the Ministry had been burdened with the amount of technology coming in and decided to get the devices registered to ensure their efficacy and safety.

"We have started to undertake this mammoth task of registering 70,000-odd medical devices over the next two years so that they are scientifically proven to be effective and safe, and suitable for medical practitioners to use them," he said in a press conference after launching the APHM International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition 2013 on Tuesday.

Dr Subramaniam said that this was to protect medical practitioners from being bombarded with non-verified technology.

There was also concern that some of these devices were the result of cross-border dumping, he said.

More protection against subpar tools

BY LOH FOON FONG 
FOONFONG@THESTAR.COM.MY

PETALING JAYA: Imagine surgical stitches ripping apart after a patient is discharged or a metal plate implanted in a leg breaking weeks after the operation.

Such scenarios have happened because of substandard medical devices.

The Medical Device Regulations 2012, which comes into effect today, is aimed at minimising situations like these.

The new law would help ensure that manufacturers of medical devices adhere to set standards.

Medical devices are defined as any instrument used for the use of diagnosis, prevention, monitoring and or for treatment of disease and injury.

They would be categorised into A, B, C or D, depending on the risk level and intended use.

Under the regulations, those producing or importing these items must register the products with the Medical Device Authority (MDA), a body under the Health Ministry tasked with supervising the country’s medical devices industry.

They would be given two years to register the devices while companies dealing with the devices, including manufacturers, importers and distributors, would be given a year to apply for licences from the ministry.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the new regulations would help ensure the safety and effectiveness of devices being used in the country.

“Patients and other customers will be protected from substandard or unapproved medical devices,” he said.

The new regulations would also shield buyers from misleading or fraudulent advertisements, as it is mandatory for all claims to be supported by evidence.

Dr Noor Hisham said the protection provided by the regulations included misuse of devices by unqualified or untrained personnel.

“Manufacturers, importers and distributors of medical devices are also compelled to report any adverse incidents or faults involving their products.

“This is mandatory and applies even if an incident occurs outside Malaysia,” he added.

The cases could be faults in devices, deterioration in effectiveness or inadequate labelling or instructions.

Dr Noor Hisham said an incident must be reported to the MDA within 30 days of occurrence.

“But if the incident results in death or serious deterioration in the health of a patient, it must be reported within 10 days.”

“And if the incident poses a serious threat to public health, it must be reported within 48 hours,” he added.

This regulatory reform in the medical device industry comes under the National Key Economic Area for Healthcare within the National Economic Transformation Programme.

Higher standards for those making medical devices

PETALING JAYA: The Medical Device Act is expected to shake up companies producing medical devices.

Association of Malaysian Medical Industries (AMMI) chairman Hitendra Joshi said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would have to comply with quality and safety standards.

“While multinationals and some local companies have complied with international standards, some SMEs have to move up the value chain,” he said.

Hitendra, who is based in Penang, said the standards under the Medical Device Regulations would help Malaysia be recognised as a reliable producer of medical devices in the global market.

“It would help attract foreign direct investment with increased market confidence,” he said.

AMMI secretary S. Balasubra­maniam said the regulations would also enable more joint ventures with foreign companies.

The association comprises 45 member companies which collectively account for more than 50% of the country’s total export revenue for medical devices.

The industry recorded sales of RM6.5bil last year, based on the AMMI’s survey on 67% of its members.

According to the survey, Malaysia’s medical device exports last year totalled RM12.9bil, with RM5.9bil coming from AMMI members.

The association expects exports to increase to RM13.7bil this year.

Medical gloves and catheters made up RM9.8bil of the total value last year while instruments for medical, surgical and dental practices, electro-mechanical devices, contraceptives, ophthalmic lenses, radiation devices and orthopaedic implants made up RM3.1bil.

Most of the companies producing theses products are located in the Northern Corridor Economic Region covering Penang, Kedah, Perak, Perlis, besides in the Klang Valley and Iskandar Malaysia in Johor.

Malaysian-made medical devices were mainly exported to Asia Pacific countries, Japan, United States, Canada and Europe.

Ugly truth awaits beauticians

BY LOH FOON FONG 
FOONFONG@THESTAR.COM.MY

For video on story:
http://www.thestar.com.my/Home/Videos/2013/06/29/Aesthetic-medical-amendment.aspx

KUALA LUMPUR: Beauty centre operators and non-doctors found to be practising aesthetic medicine could be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed for up to two years once the amendments to the Medical (Amendment) Act 2012 and its regulations come into operation before year-end.

Health Ministry officials said Section 33 of the Medical (Amendment) Act 2012 stated that first-time offenders could be fined not more than RM50,000 and jailed not more than two years while the fine could increase to not more than RM100,000 and jail term to not more than three years for second-time offenders.

Deputy health director-general Datuk Dr S. Jeyaindran said the ministry was in its final stages of drafting the regulations following the amendments passed in Parliament in June last year.

“Beauticians can be hauled up by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) if they portray themselves as doctors or they carry out procedures that only doctors can do under the guidelines on aesthetic medical practice,” he said during a press conference at the 2nd Malaysia-Singapore Conference of Aesthetic Medicine yesterday.

Dr Jeyaindran was asked if the ministry was taking any action to address loopholes in the law that did not penalise beauty centre owners who conducted invasive cosmetic procedures.

The Star recently reported that consumer bodies urged that they and untrained doctors be criminalised for carrying out the procedures.

Recently, guidelines on aesthetic medical practice was introduced and doctors who carried out the procedures and did not have the credentials to do so would be hauled up by the MMC for breach of professional code of practice.

Dr Jeyaindran said the first batch of 22 doctors had been registered with the National Registry of Registered Medical Practitioners Practising Aesthetic Medicine.

‘Decriminalise drug use and we can stop spread of HIV’

The Star
Published: Friday June 28, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Friday June 28, 2013 MYT 8:46:27 AM

BY LOH FOON FONG 
FOONFONG@THESTAR.COM.MY

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may have to decriminalise drug use if it wants to further prevent the spread of HIV, said Malaysian AIDS Foundation chairman Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.

Doing this would encourage drug users to step forward to be tested and treated, she said.

“We need a more balanced approach to some of these challenges,” she said at a press conference to announce the 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention 2013.

The event, which runs from Sunday to July 3, will gather scientists worldwide to share the latest findings on HIV/AIDS.

Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, a 2008 Nobel co-recipient for the HIV discovery, will lead the conference in finding a cure.

Dr Adeeba, the local co-chair and IAS 2013 director, said the authorities should target drug traffickers rather than users.

She said more work was needed to be carried out among men who had sex with other men as well as sex workers.

The relevant ministries needed to deal with the issues openly despite the cultural and religious challenges, she said.

“There are some difficulties about being open and discussing what needs to be done for these groups,” she said.

Health Ministry senior principal assistant director HIV/STI Dr Anita Suleiman said Malaysia was on track to achieve the target for the Millennium Development Goals in bringing down new HIV infections.

She said the target was 11 per 100,000 population by 2015 but last year, Malaysia achieved 11.7 per 100,000, down from 22 per 100,000 in 2000, thanks to free treatment given by the Government.

Mum thanks HKL for fifth C-section

The Star
Published: Saturday June 22, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Saturday June 22, 2013 MYT 11:14:23 AM

BY LOH FOON FONG
foonfong@thestar.com.my

Going gaga: Sri Morni showing her son to HKL staff members during the anniversary celebrations.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sri Morni Abdullah did not plan to have another child after her fourth one and was shocked that she was pregnant last year.

This was because she had been advised by her doctor not to have another child as a fifth Caesarean section would pose a high risk to her and the baby.

“My earlier doctor did not want to follow up on my case as it was too risky so I decided to go to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL),” said the businesswoman during the maternity hospital’s 50th anniversary celebrations yesterday.

“It was a frightening experience,” she added.

The 38-year-old grateful mother attended the event with her six-month-old son Qays Ashir Mishary Asmadi and her husband Asmadi Abdul Rahman, 37.

The doctor at HKL explained the risk to her and asked whether she would want to abort the baby but she decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and was admitted for close monitoring for two months before her delivery on Nov 19 last year.

Sri Morni stayed another two months after the delivery.

Despite her success story as well as others in other countries, who had more than 10 C-sections, HKL Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department head Datuk Dr J. Ravindran said a fifth C-section was rare and patients were advised to stop after the third C-section.

“A C-section could cause low-lying placenta that could block birth passage or that the placenta could stick to the womb and lead to severe bleeding and death and this risk increases with each procedure,” he said.

Sri Morni had severe bleeding during the C-section but the team at the hospital had prepared for all possible complications and managed to address the problem, he said, adding that pregnant women with these risks must deliver in a hospital.

Dr Ravindran said in the last 50 years, HKL had helped 12,462 mothers deliver babies safely and 28% of them were carried out through C-section compared with the nationwide average of 22% to 25%.

He said the increase was due to mothers requesting for it or they had complications or had diabetes and had large babies or that some doctors opt for it for medico-legal defence.