Latest news with #MOH
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
MOH keeps RM98m nurse uniform fabric contract until end of year despite complaints of ‘shroud-like' quality
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 98 — The Health Ministry (MOH) said it has not terminated its RM98.3 million contract for the supply of fabric for nurses' uniforms, despite complaints last year that the material provided was of poor quality and likened to burial shrouds. In a Parliamentary written reply, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the contract remains in effect until the end of this year and the supplier is still required to replace any substandard fabric delivered to hospitals and health facilities. 'The Contract for the Supply of Uniform Fabric for various schemes of service in the MOH remains in force until 31 December, 2025. 'Under the contract, the company is required to replace fabric supplied to Responsibility Centres under MOH if it is found not to meet the specified standards, in addition to being subjected to fines should the company fail to deliver the fabric by the dates stipulated in the Government Purchase Order document.' He was responding to Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, who had asked whether the RM98.3 million contract for the supply of nurses' uniforms, which was found to be of poor quality, had been terminated and awarded to another company. According to ministry records, a total of 3,281.2 metres of fabric has already been replaced by the company this year. No replacements were demanded in 2023 and 2024. Dzulkefly also revealed that as of July 25, the supplier was fined RM665,334.95 for late deliveries during the contract period. 'Written reminders have also been issued to the company, warning that the agreement may be terminated if they fail to take corrective action in line with the contract's terms and conditions,' he said. However, Dzulkefly stressed that since the supplier has so far complied with replacement requirements and other clauses, no termination has been carried out. In February, the MOH had requested the replacement of nurse uniforms supplied by Peluang Kristal (M) Sdn Bhd due to the poor quality of fabric used. Dzulkefly explained that the fabric failed to meet the required specifications after an investigation was conducted last year.
New Paper
20 hours ago
- New Paper
LTA, SMRT step up anti-vaping enforcement on public transport
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has warned that commuters caught vaping will be removed from public transport premises, and the police may be called in for those found to be intoxicated. The LTA, which announced stepped-up enforcement efforts in a Facebook post on Aug 18, is the latest to join agencies including the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Education and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to tackle the vaping menace in Singapore. The LTA said: "Our station staff are on active patrol to keep our public transport spaces safe and smoke-free. Anyone caught vaping will be removed from the premises and reported to authorities. "For those found intoxicated, police may be called in too." Recent video footage of different incidents have shown a national serviceman, a teenager and a woman vaping on public buses and MRT trains. All three appeared intoxicated in the videos. In a separate incident on Aug 10, a man was caught on video shoving SMRT staff at Lakeside Station after he was spotted using an e-vaporiser. SMRT had on Aug 18 issued a statement on its Facebook page reminding commuters that vaping is illegal in Singapore and strictly banned on SMRT-operated public transport network. SMRT said it enforces a zero-tolerance policy, adding that it will not hesitate to report offenders to the relevant authorities. Anti-vaping signs at its stations remind passengers that vaping carries a maximum fine of $2,000. The whole-of-government approach in tacking e-vaporisers and the more harmful Kpods, or vapes laced with synthetic drugs, was addressed at the National Day Rally on Aug 17. In his speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the Government will take much tougher action against vaping and treat it as a drug issue with stiffer penalties. Despite vapes being banned in Singapore, he said people are still smuggling them in and finding ways to get around the law. "Many of these vapes are laced with addictive and harmful substances like etomidate," said PM Wong. "So, the vapes themselves are just the delivery devices. The real danger is what is inside. "Right now, it is etomidate. In future, it could be something worse - stronger or far more dangerous drugs." Vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018, and under current laws, possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000. But imposing a fine is no longer enough. PM Wong said: "We will treat this as a drug issue, and impose much stiffer penalties. That means jail sentences and more severe punishments for those who sell vapes with harmful substances." Supervision and rehabilitation will be given to those addicted to vapes. The Government has mounted a major public education drive, starting in schools and the institutes of higher learning, and in national service. PM Wong said that while MHA and MOH will lead the efforts, "this will be a robust whole-of-government exercise". "The agencies have already started, and the ministries concerned will share more details soon," he added. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had announced on July 20 the intention to list etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), after one in three vapes recently seized here was found to contain etomidate. MHA is expected to list the pharmaceutical drug under the MDA as an interim measure while MOH continues to study further legislative action. This paves the way for Kpods abusers and traffickers to be treated in the same way as those who abuse or traffic drugs, with mandatory rehabilitation and jail time for repeat offenders. Currently, etomidate is listed under the Poisons Act. Under this law, abusers face only a fine. Etomidate is meant for use only during medical procedures. When vaped, it enters the lungs directly, potentially triggering spasms, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis. On July 30, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said his ministry will second its officers to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to help with enforcement, as well as with supervision, treatment and rehabilitation of abusers. Meanwhile, HSA said it is working with Hong Kong's Department of Health to tackle vaping by exchanging information and expertise with each other. HSA has also advertised job openings for investigators specifically to crack down on Kpods. More than 800 people have since applied for the job. MOH and HSA said on Aug 14 that more than 100 people were under investigation for offences involving vapes. Members of the public can report vaping offences to the Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 9pm daily, or online at Those who need help to quit vaping can join the Health Promotion Board's I Quit programme by calling the QuitLine on 1800-438-2000. The authorities have said those who voluntarily seek support to quit vaping will not face any penalties for doing so.
Barnama
20 hours ago
- Health
- Barnama
MADANI Adopted Village: MOH Confident Kampung Santan Selatan Will Be Model Village
KANGAR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) is confident that Kampung Santan Selatan will serve as a model for inclusive and thriving community development for the country, particularly Perlis, under the ministry's MADANI Adopted Village programme. MOH secretary-general Datuk Seri Suriani Ahmad said a total of RM1 million has been set aside for the programme until December this year, which will be utilised to address issues at the village, including dilapidated village clinic, slow drainage flow, waste management, and assistance for asnaf families. "All issues are being addressed through engagement with government agencies in Perlis, namely the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), Public Works Department (JKR), Kangar Municipal Council (MPKangar), and the State Health Department (JKN)," she said during the programme's launch at the village here today. According to Suriani, Perlis JKN is in the process of repairing and upgrading the facilities at the Santan Village Clinic to provide greater comfort for patients, with completion expected by November. Meanwhile, she said Sekolah Kebangsaan Santan has been selected for the MADANI Adopted School programme, an initiative to strengthen education in rural areas across five key areas: infrastructure, academics, teacher development, financial assistance, as well as student character and skills. 'RM100,000 has been approved to implement the programme. The funds will be used to improve school facilities and support initiatives that can enhance students' academic performance and potential. We hope this school will become a centre of knowledge and a place to build character and leadership for the next generation,' she said. Suriani said efforts have begun to unlock the village's potential and bridge the gap between leaders, government agencies, and the community, as well as build a more advanced and competitive society. At the launch, 125 villagers registered under the eKasih system received MADANI Sentuhan Kasih vouchers worth RM100 each to purchase essential items. -- BERNAMA
The Star
a day ago
- Health
- The Star
Long wait for a cure to healthcare system
BURSTING at the seams and held together by a mere 'bandage strip', it has been a tumultuous and challenging decade for the public healthcare sector that was teetering on the brink of collapse. And the heart of the problem is the contract system that was introduced in 2016. The system that saw new healthcare workers hired under contract was announced in Budget 2017. The rationale for the contract system was to address the glut in medical graduates. It was meant to be a temporary stopgap solution to clear the backlog of medical graduates waiting too long for placements in the government service. It began with over 2,000 medical, dental and pharmacy graduates serving the government on a contractual basis and the numbers have grown to some 30,000 now. Then health minister Tan Sri S. Subramaniam said that the contract system would provide flexibility in recruitment in the future, as the number of contracts could be increased based on need. 'So with this move, waiting period for doctors to get the placements will also be reduced,' he said back then. ALSO READ: A timely boost to doctors' morale Also, the contract system was meant to serve as an evaluation tool to gauge the performances of under-performing healthcare workers. On top of that, in 2011 there was a five-year freeze on new medical courses in the country to address the glut of future doctors graduating from 32 local institutions, and more than 360 medical programmes in 36 countries. In 2016, the freeze was extended. At the time, the rationale seemed to make sense. In fact, this writer recalls that in 2016, a whistleblower provided documented evidence of the poor quality of some medical students, including those with subpar science results who had nonetheless been accepted into medical schools, raising concerns about whether entry was a matter of money over merit for such a highly specialised field. What no one foresaw then, however, was that less than five years later, the healthcare system would face its most severe test in a century – the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 exposed the cracks in the contract system, reminding the nation that the temporary solution was never meant to be long term. Hospitals did not have enough manpower. Healthcare workers were worked to the bone due to the rising number of patients and fatalities, that many of the biggest and reputable government hospitals in the country looked like 'war zones', unable to cope with the patient load. The manpower shortage and the cries of exhausted healthcare workers became a constant fixture in news reports during the pandemic. ALSO READ: MOH working to end medical doctor contract system Such SOS calls for help came from hospitals, ironically the very place where lives are saved. Contract doctors who wanted to serve the government could not continue to do so as they were not offered permanent positions. Some quit as the contract system did not offer job security. In fact, contract healthcare workers also reached their boiling point when they launched two separate movements to protest the unfair contract system in July 2021. The Code Black social media campaign which culminated in the 'Black Monday' on July 12 and the Hartal Doktor Kontrak strike on July 26 the same year. Some of my own schoolmates who were first batch contract healthcare workers had left the country. A commentator once told this writer that there will come a time where there will be jobless doctors and the situation would be dire as patients would not get timely care. And that has rang true, with many of the contract doctors who had exhausted the seven-year maximum extension being rendered jobless and having to find other fields of work. And now, 'brain drain' has become a term we hear all too often with the migration of doctors overseas being spoken about over and over again. The public is paying the price. The waiting times at hospitals have become longer. That means a six-hour wait at the Emergency Department or one doctor seeing up to 100 patients a day at some Klinik Kesihatan. It has taken a toll on the quality of patient care. In fact, there have been claims of cases of death and accidents due to exhaustion and micro-sleep among healthcare workers. Many doctors have questioned whether the system for placement and permanent positions was actually done on meritocracy or first-come, first-served basis. Dr Sean Thum, who is a long-time advocate for junior doctor rights and a doctor who had been in the contract system himself, said he would only believe it when the Health Ministry can provide in black and white that it is working to end the contract system. 'It is less about a new achievement and more about righting a long-standing wrong,' he said. Like Dr Thum, many doctors are sceptical about the announcement by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad that the government is working to abolish the contract system. They have waited too long and heard too many unfulfilled promises and about-turns in policies. This matter has been unresolved and has spanned over five governments. It remains to be seen whether Dzulkefly will be able to resolve this and find a cure to the biggest problem plaguing the healthcare system. It is in the best interest of the nation to abolish the contract system. We can never have enough healthcare workers. We cannot afford a 'sick' public healthcare system.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Malaysia to expand healthcare with 81 wellness hubs by 2033
KUALA LANGAT: The Ministry of Health (MOH) aims to establish 81 Wellness Hubs across Malaysia to enhance the national healthcare system. Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad announced that 33 hubs are already operational in urban and rural areas. He stated that the remaining 48 hubs will be completed by 2033 to further support community health. 'Wellness Hubs are the cornerstone of healthcare, offering vital support for people's health in both urban and rural areas,' he said during the Kuala Langat Wellness Hub opening. Since 2020, these hubs have benefited over 1.48 million Malaysians with measurable health improvements. Data shows 75 per cent of participants achieved weight loss, while 74 per cent improved their physical fitness. Additionally, 54 per cent successfully quit smoking through the programme. 'These hubs drive real lifestyle changes, proving they are more than just service centres,' Dr Dzulkefly added. Selangor currently has three operational hubs in Hulu Langat, Sabak Bernam, and Kuala Langat. A new facility in Kuala Selangor is set to launch later this year. Formerly called Community Health Promotion Centres, the hubs now focus on behaviour change and sustainable healthy living. MOH also signed a cooperation agreement with the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) for joint wellness initiatives. The partnership includes health activities at fire academies and stations nationwide. - Bernama
