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Plastic waste isn’t just choking our oceans — it’s creeping into our food, water, and even our bodies. Malaysia now eyes an Extended Producer Responsibility law to make polluters pay 🛑

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — At the site of an illegal dumping site in Kapar, Selangor, which stands two storeys high and covers a space of at least five football pitches, lay scraps...

Small wins for the front line: “Nursecation” deals in Sibu and Bintulu to boost morale and retention 🩺

SIBU (Aug 17): The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (Motac) has announced a ‘Nursecation Holiday Packages (NHP)’ initiative for nurses from the Ministry of Health (MOH) stationed in Sibu and Bintulu. Its minister Da…

Over 400,000 pledges but many families still say no at the crucial moment. 10,000+ patients are waiting. Talk to your loved ones and register your wishes today 🫀

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 — Objections from organ donors’ next of kin remain one of the main challenges for organ donation in the country, where over 10,000 patients are still on...

Health Minister Dzulkefly says Putrajaya & Labuan’s sky-high maternal mortality rates are due to a “small denominator” — only 4 and 3 maternal deaths over 5 years, but very low live births 📊

Putrajaya & Labuan reported an average 5-year maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 45.9 and 40.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, exceeding the 24.2 national average. Dr Dzul justified it with low births (number of deaths were 4 and…

Malaysia’s MyGENOM project hits a milestone with 4,000 participants and 1,200 genomes already sequenced—paving the way for precision medicine in the country 🧬

Malaysia’s MyGenom project has sequenced 1,200 genomes from nearly 4,000 participants nationwide, including Bumiputera and Orang Asli communities.

Malaysia finally registers 5 cardiothoracic surgeons under the long-debated parallel pathway, a step forward in addressing specialist shortages ❤️‍🩹

Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad says the registrations mark the end of a long-standing dispute over the programme and recognition of international qualifications.

Pasir Gudang’s new hospital is only running at 20 % capacity because of staff shortages. Dzulkefly says manpower is the real issue, not infrastructure 🏥

A 6‑year‑old girl in Bintulu has died of rabies after a stray dog bit her. It’s Sarawak’s 2nd human case this year. Health officials urge prompt vaccination and staying away from stray animals 🐕

KUCHING (Aug 26): A six-year-old Indonesian girl has died of rabies in Bintulu, said Sarawak Health Department director Dr Veronica Lugah. In a statement, Dr Veronica said the child, who lived with her family on a plantation in B…

Malaysia will introduce DRG payments for private hospitals in 2026 and a national DRG in 2027, aiming to curb medical inflation by standardising reimbursements 💉

Health Minister Dr Dzul says the DRG payment system will be introduced for private hospitals first next year via a new government health insurance product. DRG for the private sector will differ slightly from a national DRG syste…

Doctors warn that the MOH’s MyPriMeCatcher app could spark price wars. Publishing drug prices might push clinics to compete on cost instead of quality 💊

MMA says MOH's planned MyPriMeCatcher app, which lists retail drug prices, risks triggering "a race to the bottom" in price wars and further commercialisation of health care, pointing out that this is precisely what MOH has consi…

Pregnant MOH staff should leave an hour early from 22 weeks under JPA rules, but some clinics wait till 36 weeks. Dzulkefly says constraints aren’t an excuse – bosses must follow the law 🚼

Dr Dzul tells HODs to uphold a JPA circular that allows women staff to leave work early at 22 weeks pregnant, but stops short of saying that health care services should be cut to accommodate staff shortages. He adds that rules mu…

Smuggled health products are flooding Malaysia’s market, risking lives and undermining safety. The govt is now working with the Border Security Agency to crack down on the illicit trade 🚨

Health Ministry strengthens collaboration with Border Control Agency to combat smuggling of unregistered medicines through multi-agency enforcement.

Another U-turn: Govt delays drug price display enforcement to Jan 2026. Pharmacies & clinics get yet another extension while patients wait for transparency 💊

MOH tells the High Court that enforcement of drug price display (including compounds) has been deferred to Jan 1, 2026, marking yet another reversal over the issue. PMPASKL and Medipulse may consolidate their judicial review bid…

Patients deserve more than a price-tag hunt. Comparing medicines to groceries ignores the need for proper diagnosis, safe prescriptions, and professional care ⚠️

They warn that 'price-tag hunts' could lead to patients medicating themselves instead of consulting doctors.

Cancer shouldn’t only be treated in big hospitals. MOH & Roche launch Cancer Care Closer to Community to push early detection & timely treatment, as 60% of cases in Malaysia are still found late. A move to ease family burden & healthcare strain 🎗️

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Roche (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd have teamed up to make cancer care easier to access by providing treatment closer to local communities instead of just in big hospitals.

Malaysia may be seeing just the tip of the iceberg on hospital fire safety, warns Dr Abu Hasan Samad of the Occupational Safety & Health Federation. Small sparks and unreported incidents hint at bigger risks 🔥

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fire safety issues in hospitals, warns Malaysian Federation for Occupational Safety and Health chairman Dr Abu Hasan Samad.

Dr Wan Azizah calls for a holistic approach to curb teen bullying, urging families, schools and communities to work together. She says bullying is the most pressing mental health issue and encourages reaching out via Talian Kasih or Talian Heal 💬

CHERAS (Aug 23): The growing concern over bullying among teenagers must be addressed urgently through holistic efforts involving families, schools and the wider community, Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail s…

A Cabinet memorandum to ban electronic cigarettes and vaping will be tabled before the end of the year, says Health Minister Dzulkefly. Time to stub out the vape culture for good 🚭

KUALA SELANGOR: A Cabinet Memorandum (MJM) on the ban of electronic cigarettes and vaping will be tabled before the Cabinet by the end of this year at the latest.

HKL Orthopaedic Dept faces a 62% drop in medical officers — patients now endure long waits as transfers, resignations, and postgraduate exits leave posts unfilled. ⏳

Doctors are calling out the Medicine Price Catcher app as a Trojan horse — saying it risks being used against patients and clinics instead of helping with transparency. ⚠️

Doctors' groups FPMPAM, PMPASKL and MPCAM have rejected cooperation with MOH to provide data on drug prices for the ministry's new medicine "price catcher" app, dubbed a "Trojan horse". MPCAM says the app will spark a price war b…

Malaysia’s Health Ministry is pushing for a bigger 2026 budget to fight non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, which are costing the nation billions annually. 💰

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad proposes enhanced funding for NCD prevention in Budget 2026, focusing on diabetes and obesity initiatives.

COVID-19 isn’t gone yet — Malaysia just reported 2 deaths this year, but cases are down 50%. A reminder that the virus is still here, but its impact has eased 🦠

Malaysia records two COVID-19 deaths in 2025 compared to 58 last year, with cases dropping to 41,814 amid new subvariants and mild symptoms.

Malaysia edges closer to a nationwide vape ban as the Health Ministry finalises its report. Decision could reshape public health and the vape industry entirely 🚭

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — A detailed report on the proposed ban of e-cigarettes and vapes is being finalised by a Health Ministry expert committee, said Health Minister Datuk Seri...

Unlicensed beauty clinics keep popping up—this time, an illegal dental aesthetic centre got busted by MOH with two people arrested. Unsafe shortcuts put lives at risk. 🦷

KUALA LUMPUR: Hiding in plain sight among a row of shop lots in Sri Petaling, a beauty centre offering illegal dental and aesthetic medical services since 2024 was finally exposed in a raid on Wednesday (Aug 20), Sinar Harian rep…