RM90m to fight non-communicable diseases

http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=55373

RM90m to fight non-communicable diseases

Opalyn Mok

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

GEORGE TOWN (Dec 20, 2010): The federal government has allocated RM90 million under the 10th Malaysian Plan to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol.

The first programme under this allocation, which is community empowerment to combat NCD, has already started in several states in the last two months, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

"We are giving more power to the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) to implement the health agenda," he said at a press conference after the launch of the Bandar Baru Air Itam Health Clinic here today.

The clinic started operations on June 16 and it is the only government health clinic in the country to have a six-storey structure. It can cater to about 350 outpatients each day.

Liow said the JKKK will be the role model, adviser and leader in the health agenda.

"We are looking at appointing between 20 and 30 volunteers in each village to be part of this programme so that they could reach out to the community and spread awareness while educating and encouraging a healthy lifestyle and to cultivate good eating habits," he said.

He said there are other programmes to combat the rise of NCD in the pipeline which will be rolled out in stages in future.

On top of the allocation, Liow said the cabinet has approved the forming of a cabinet committee to manage the rise of NCD.

"The deputy prime minister will chair this committee and 12 other ministries, such as the local council and housing, youth and sports, education and transport ministries, will be involved in the committee," he said.

"The committee will be discussing the ways to combat the rise of NCD and obesity, which is the main cause for NCD, and come up with national strategic plans and policies to fight it," he said.

On another matter, Liow said young doctors must accept being posted to rural areas, especially Sabah and Sarawak for at least two years.

"I have received a lot of appeals from doctors who want to remain in the cities like Kuala Lumpur, (in) Selangor and do not want to be posted to rural areas," he said, adding that they should accept such postings as they must have the spirit to serve the community.

"Due to this, we have in place an incentive for them. Those who accept postings to the rural areas will only serve there for a maximum of two years and after that they will get a transfer back to the cities," he said.