What do you call a doctor who specialises in taking care of most common ailments, providing comprehensive care for patients of all ages? That’s a family medicine specialist, who works at the primary care level as the first point of contact for people in the community. We speak to Professor Dr Adina Abdullah, a Family Medicine Specialist with Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, about the role of these specialists and what kind of training is required.

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How many of us spend the nights staring at a phone or computer screen, putting off sleep? While most of us know it’s probably not great for our health, how is it also affecting what’s happening in our brain during this time when we’re supposed to let it rest and refresh? We dive into what the research tells us, with neurogeneticist Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar.

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With access to care and effective treatment, HIV is no longer the death sentence it was decades ago. But how is Malaysia doing in getting HIV treatment to those who need it most? What are the gaps that remain and is stigma towards high-risk populations coming back to haunt us? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by consultant ID physician Assoc Prof Dr Raja Iskandar president of the Malaysian AIDS Council to discuss. 

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Are you happy with life, or just feeling happy in the moment? How do we move from one state to the other? We talk about the pursuit of happiness with Rozy Khalid, Licensed Counsellor.

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“There is no specific treatment for dengue.” That’s often how dengue is described, as the viral infection can only be managed through supportive care like fluids, rest or platelet transfusions, if necessary. However, an effective antiviral treatment for dengue might mean the difference between life and death for many people who are infected every year. We speak to Vanessa Daniel, Regional Director of South East Asia, from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, about DNDi’s work to develop a drug that will prevent the progression of dengue, and its other collaborative efforts with partners in the Dengue Alliance.

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Compassion is one of the most important elements in healthcare but in a world where healthcare workers are overworked, how does compassion come through in the care that patients receive? We speak to Dr Debbie Ling, a compassion and common humanity researcher as well as a lecturer in the Department of Social Work at Monash University to dive into what compassion truly means and whether compassion can be taught or trained into healthcare workers.

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What happens after a patient has been exposed to unsafe care, and has suffered an injury or complication? In the final episode of the series on patient safety, we explore what are patients’ rights after a medical error, and what patients and their caregivers can do.

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Rheumatoid arthritis is often diagnosed late, forcing patients to live with daily pain and disruptions to their lives as the disease progresses. We speak to consultant rheumatologist Associate Professor Dr Fariz Yahya, who is the President of the Arthritis Foundation Malaysia, to find out how to improve diagnosis and care for patients with RA.

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In recent months, incidents involving schoolchildren and violence have raised concerns about whether kids are equipped with the skills to navigate conflict, stress, friendships and consent. Can we leave it up to children to eventually learn this on their own, or should there be a concerted effort to teach social and emotional skills from a young age? We discuss with Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, Consultant Developmental Paediatrician, and Carolyn Marie Choo, President of the Early Childhood Care and Education Council Malaysia.

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Nobody looking at Goh Liu Ying at the height of her mixed badminton doubles career would have guessed at her mental health struggles. On this episode of ‘Because Feelings Matter’, Liu Ying talks about the psychological toll of dealing with her injury, and why mental health support is crucial for athletes. 

Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘Because Feelings Matter’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental health issues. These stories aim to normalise conversations about mental health, and to show that it’s okay to struggle emotionally and psychologically, but more importantly, to reach out for help. This series is produced in collaboration with Thrive Well.

Clip credits: Astro Arena, Olympics YouTube Channel

Image credit: Goh Liu Ying

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