Health & Living

I Had COVID-19 – Here's What I Learned About Our Healthcare System

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On 16th of March, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii found out that he had COVID-19 and was admitted for treatment at Sarawak General Hospital. What was ...

Should We Go Back To Normal After MCO?

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When the MCO ends, the big question is: what next? Do the lives of Malaysians go back to normal, in terms of work, studies, business and entertai...

Public Health #29: How Good Leaders Steer Us Through a Health Crisis

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed great demands on the leadership of countries coping with the outbreak – both from the national perspective and ...

COVID-19: Nursing Home Residents At Risk

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

 The elderly are already among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, and living in nursing homes puts them at even higher risk. So wh...

COVID-19: Should I Get Tested at a Private Hospital?

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, several private hospitals have begun offering COVID-19 tests for individuals who want to be tested but do...

Staying Fit and Active During the MCO

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Ministry of Health has continuously reminded Malaysians to stay active during the period of the Movement Control Order, but with gyms closed and p...

COVID-19: Mindfulness Will Get You Through This

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent Movement Control Order has made us all anxious, fearful and stressed. However, consultant clinical psychologi...

COVID-19: How Are Our Medical Frontliners Coping?

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For the past weeks, we’ve been hearing about the struggles and risks that healthcare workers are facing, as they battle COVID-19 on the frontlin...

Cancer and COVID-19

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you have cancer, the COVID-19 outbreak, and its rapid spread here in Malaysia, is probably a source of constant anxiety. Dr Murallitharan Munisamy,...

Multiple Nighttime Toilet Trips

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re constantly waking up at night to urinate, it’s probably disturbing your sleep and causing other problems. Night urination (or me...

COVID-19: How Parents and Children Can Cope

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With so much anxiety and uncertainty over the COVID-19 outbreak, how can parents talk to their kids – including children with special needs &nda...

COVID-19: How are District Health Offices Coping?

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot about contact tracing and surveillance as a critical part of the response to COVID-19. But what exactly does it involve? We find out mor...

Physical Rehabilitation For Cancer Patients

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cancer treatments can leave the patients feeling weak and fatigued, which can have negative repercussions on their quality of life. That’s where...

Taking Care of the Elderly During COVID-19

20 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With the Movement Control Order in place from the 18th to 31st March, we’re looking at one of the most vulnerable groups in our community: the e...

Public Health #28: Investing in Vaccination

19 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With one more case of polio in Sabah this week bringing the total reported cases to four, there is clearly an urgent need to immunise non-Malaysian ch...

Mind Matters: How COVID-19 Affects Youths

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Universities and tertiary institutions will be shut for 2 weeks, starting today, under the Movement Control Order. On the Mind Matters series, we spea...

COVID-19: Looking Beyond Movement Control Order

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, the government of Malaysia announced a Movement Control Order, restricting public gatherings and a wide range of activities in a bid to pre...

COVID-19: Looking Beyond Movement Control Order

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, the government of Malaysia announced a Movement Control Order, restricting public gatherings and a wide range of activities in a bid to pre...

Tackling Malnutrition Among the Elderly

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eating a healthy diet shouldn’t just be prioritised by the young, as malnutrition is increasingly affecting older adults these days. So how woul...

Managing Diabetes Through Exercise

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us find it difficult to make lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to our level of physical activity and diet. But these changes can sig...

Preventing & Treating Recurrence of Colorectal Cancer

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2012-2016, colorectal cancer is the most common cancer among men in Malaysia, and the second...

Health: The Nuts & Bolts #5 – Hospitals and Healthcare

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Health: The Nuts & Bolts, we look at hospitals as a key aspect of service delivery, and why it’s not simply a case of sli...

IWD2020: The Women Spearheading Women’s Health

06 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of us find it difficult to talk about women’s sexual and reproductive health due to cultural and religious taboos here in Malaysia. In con...

Less Salt, Please

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysians are overly fond of salty food. However, many of us do not pay enough attention to the salt and sodium content in our daily meals. We find o...

Responding to the Health Needs of Refugees

04 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It is widely known that Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention. That means the refugee status is not recognised in ...

Music and Movement

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you watch a musician or a dancer performing, it’s enthralling to witness how their bodies move in synchrony to produce something that comes...

Targeting Colorectal Cancer

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Colorectal cancer still ranks high among cancers affecting Malaysians, and is still being diagnosed at late stages. How does this affect patients&rsqu...

Doctor in the House: World Rare Disease Day 2020

28 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. This year, World Rare Disease Day falls...

When Heart Attacks Strike Young

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Heart attacks are often seen as a problem that comes with age, but recent news has many of us worried about the possibility of heart attacks striking ...

Frontline Response for Covid-19

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

GPs are often the first line of response to any health issues, including during the current Covid-19 outbreak. We take a look at how GPs should respon...

Doctor in the House: What To Do If You Have Covid-19 Symptoms

21 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. With everyone on high alert for signs a...

Doctor in the House: What To Do If You Have Covid-19 Symptoms

21 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. With everyone on high alert for signs a...

Rethinking Drug Policy in Malaysia

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed announced that the government will look into changing the death penalty for drug trafficking to a li...

Music Heals

19 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The use of music as medicine has existed for as long as the indigenous communities in our country have been creating music. However, formalized music ...

Mind Matters: What is Community Mental Health?

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health is not just about illnesses like depression or bipolar disorder – it also refers to the stresses you face in your daily life and y...

Childhood Obesity - Health & Habits

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When we talk about obesity, we often look at its prevalence among adults, but are we doing enough to address it during childhood? On today’s sho...

Doctor in the House: Building Healthy Relationships

14 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. In this Valentine’s Day special, ...

Doctor in the House: Building Healthy Relationships

14 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. In this Valentine’s Day special, ...

Brain Waves #33: Bionic Neurons

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A team of researchers have recently created bionic neurons that could be implanted into patients. The artificial neurons could potentially help to ove...

Public Health #27: Lessons from 1Care

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Insurance providers in Malaysia are set to increase premiums as much as 30% for medical policies this year, due to factors like medical inflation, ris...

Self-Harm & Suicide Among the Elderly

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Growing older should be a time to enjoy life without the pressures of working and supporting a family. But many elderly people find themselves feeling...

Health: The Nuts and Bolts #4 – Training Doctors

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What does it really take to become a doctor, and are medical students truly prepared for the path that lies ahead? In the fourth episode of our series...

Doctor in the House: A Vaccine for the Wuhan Coronavirus?

07 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Researchers from various different centres around the world are racing to develop a vaccine ...

Doctor in the House: A Vaccine for the Wuhan Coronavirus?

07 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Researchers from various different centres around the world are racing to develop a vaccine ...

Ask A Doctor #10: Children’s Health

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We are back for our monthly open clinic segment, where we get our doctors to address your health concerns. On today’s show, Dr Yong Junina Fadzi...

Ask A Psychologist #11: Mental Health Clinic

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We return with our monthly mental health clinic with consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan. In this segment, we address your concerns rega...

What is Stressing Our Joints?

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of joint pain. What do we know about the underlying causes of osteoarthritis? Is it really due to &ldq...

Dangers of DIY Dental and Orthodontic Procedures

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you Google ‘how to fix crooked teeth at home’, you get results to online sites that sell DIY braces and aligners, promising quick and...

Doctor in the House: What Happens When Children Can’t Hear Anymore?

31 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A baby learns how to speak and understand others by hearing the sounds and words around them, so what happens when they lose that ability to hear? If ...

Is Whooping Cough Evolving Into a Superbug?

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New research by Australian scientists has shown that whooping cough (pertussis) bacteria are evolving and becoming smarter in surviving in a human bod...

Cancer Goals for 2020

29 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Leading up to World Cancer Day on 4th February, we look at the advances in cancer treatment and prevention over the past two decades. Following that, ...

Researching Stroke Biomarkers

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Early detection and treatment is crucial for stroke patients to limit brain damage and prevent further stroke complications. Aishah Ismail, a research...

Chinese New Year Special: Healthy and Fit

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“Shen ti jian kang” or “wishing you good health” is a common greeting you hear during the Chinese New Year celebrations. An im...

Teaching Children Self-Control

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Self-control and discipline isn’t something you usually associate with children. We tend to think it’s ok when children are easily distrac...

Mind Matters: Alcohol Addiction

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In past months, several fatal drunk driving incidents made the news here in Malaysia. When does a drink turn into one too many, and from there, into a...

Be Fit Malaysians #17: HIIT-ing the Gym

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more, but how do we go about it? In the current fitness frenzy, we take a look at high inten...

How Do We Treat Burns?

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Severe burns can leave scars that cause psychological distress to the person, even long after the injury has healed. So how are burn wounds managed an...

Doctor in the House: Improving Our Trauma Care System

17 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. Road accidents have remained one of Mal...

Flu and Diabetes in the Elderly

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With influenza cases seemingly on the rise in recent weeks, we look at how older people are particularly vulnerable to complications from the viral in...

Program ROSE: Removing Obstacles to cervical ScrEening

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017, Program ROSE was started as a pilot research programme to improve access to cervical cancer screening among Malaysian women. In conjunction w...

Reducing the Burden of COPD

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Not too long ago, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease predicted that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) would be the ...

Health: The Nuts and Bolts #3 – Health Workforce

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the 3rd episode of Health: The Nuts & Bolts, the series that goes behind the scenes of our health system, we’re looking at our health wor...

Doctor in the House: Influenza and Respiratory Diseases

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. Influenza is back in the news and on ou...

Doctor in the House: Influenza and Respiratory Diseases

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. Influenza is back in the news and on ou...

Brain Waves #32: Addiction and Anxiety in the Brain

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What happens in the brain of someone who suffers from an extreme addiction? And how would withdrawal from the addictive substance affect the emotions ...

Public Health #26: Critical Time for Health Workers

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The year 2019 ended on a note of uncertainty for workers in the health sector, who had been told that the government was considering stopping the crit...

A Decade in Orthopaedics

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As we enter the new year and decade, we ask consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh to walk us through some of the most significant advances an...

Extreme Facial Pain

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We have several nerves in our face, which supply feeling and movement to the face. Imagine when something goes wrong with one of those nerves. One of ...

Doctor in the House: Changing Mindsets on the Smoking Ban

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1st January marked the beginning of enforcement of the smoking ban in eateries, after an educational period of a year. We look back at how effective t...

Ask A Doctor #9: Exercise and Fitness

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We are back for our monthly open clinic segment, where we get our doctors to address your health concerns. On today’s show, Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz...

BFM's Healthy Ageing 2019 Part 2 of 2: The Heart & The Mind

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone talks about healthy ageing, but what does it mean? We look at healthy ageing from the perspective of cardiovascular health with Consultant In...

BFM's Healthy Ageing 2019 Part 1 of 2: Healthy Joints & Palliative Care

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone talks about healthy ageing, but what does it mean? We look at managing healthy joints among older people with Consultant Arthroplasty Orthopa...

Health & Living Jr 2019: Stories - Every Child Matters

27 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Raising a child in today’s environment is a challenging journey, and parents of children with special needs have more obstacles to navigate. Fou...

Health & Living Jr 2019 Part 4 of 4: The Dilemma of Modern Childhood

27 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Children and parents are struggling to cope with all the conflicting demands of modern life. Are today's children adequately prepared to face adulthoo...

Health & Living Jr 2019 Part 3 of 4: The Battle Over Vaccination

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The biggest ongoing battle in medicine today is over the issue of vaccination. What is fuelling parents’ anxieties about vaccination, and is the...

Health & Living Jr 2019 Part 2 of 4: The Allergy Epidemic

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Allergies among children are on the rise, including skin, respiratory and food allergies. Is the allergy epidemic due to an imbalance in our gut micro...

Health & Living Jr 2019 Part 1 of 4: Townhall with the Minister

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kids today are exposed to rapid technological changes, intense societal pressure, and complex family issues. How do we prepare kids for a future that ...

Doctor in the House: The Latest in Men’s Health

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. For our last show of the year, we look ...

Health & Living Live 2019: Stories

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our interaction with our community and environment plays a vital role in our health over the long term. Four individuals from various backgrounds shar...

Health & Living Live 2019: Stories

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our interaction with our community and environment plays a vital role in our health over the long term. Four individuals from various backgrounds shar...

Health & Living Live 2019 Part 4 of 4: Gut Health

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How does the world around us – our environment, our culture and our relationships – interact with our health? While we have become more af...

Health & Living Live 2019 Part 3 of 4: Town Hall with the Minister

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How does the world around us – our environment, our culture and our relationships – interact with our health? The Deputy Minister of Healt...

Health & Living Live 2019 Part 2 of 4: Traditional vs Conventional Medicine

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How does the world around us – our environment, our culture and our relationships – interact with our health? We look at traditional medic...

Health & Living Live 2019 Part 1 of 4: The Sandwich Generation

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How does the world around us – our environment, our culture and our relationships – interact with our health? One of the most pressing soc...

Doctor in the House: Protecting Patient Privacy on Chat Apps

13 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. Over one million patient-related messag...

Ask A Doctor #8: Women’s Health

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We are back for our monthly open clinic segment, where we get our doctors to address your health concerns. On today’s show, Dr Premitha Damodara...

Public Health #25: Should Drug Prices in Malaysia Be Controlled?

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On May 2, the Cabinet announced that price control measures for medications would be implemented. This has generated a flurry of reactions from the ph...

Treating Oral Maxillofacial Conditions and Injuries

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Problems of the face, mouth and jaw, such as facial trauma, tumours and jaw disorders, require complex expertise. We find out how these problems can b...

Health: The Nuts and Bolts #2 – Corruption, Wastage and Fraud in Healthcare

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Corruption occurs in many aspects of our daily lives, from the individual level right up to the institutional. While healthcare is the one sector that...

Doctor in the House: Are Private Hospitals Too Expensive?

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. When we talk about private hospitals, w...

Brain Waves #31: Growing Brains and Preserving Humans?

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’re coming to the end of the year and on this episode of Brain Waves, we sit down with neurogeneticist Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar to catch up on s...

Ask A Psychologist #10: Mental Health Clinic

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We return with our monthly mental health clinic with consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan. On this segment, we address your concerns rega...

Are Steroid Injections for Osteoarthritis Unsafe?

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Steroid injections have become a commonly accepted form of treatment for knee or hip pain caused by osteoarthritis. However, a new study by Boston Uni...

Are Steroid Injections for Osteoarthritis Unsafe?

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Steroid injections have become a commonly accepted form of treatment for knee or hip pain caused by osteoarthritis. However, a new study by Boston Uni...

MySihat No More?

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many of the health issues we face today are linked to our lifestyles and daily habits – hence, the constant messages about adopting healthier li...

Doctor in the House: Countering Counterfeit Medicine

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr George Lee returns to discuss the latest medical news. Expect deep insights delivered with generous humour. As medicines and supplements are becomi...

Older Mums, Healthy Babies

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Late motherhood is increasingly common as more women choose to have children later in life. But age is often linked to a higher risk of complications ...

Universal Children’s Day Special: When Kids Share Their Stories

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special edition of Health & Living for Universal Children’s Day, where we’re speaking to children from two families affected...

World Toilet Day: Safe Water For All

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognized access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right, and called for international effo...

Mind Matters: Are Our Elderly Unhappy?

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Growing older is supposed to be synonymous with retirement and relaxation. But are older Malaysians becoming unhappier, and why? On Mind Matters, our ...