Catering to the needs of an ageing population means planning ahead and setting aside enough funds for those policies and programmes, but with aged care so glaringly missing from Budget 2026, are we doing enough to plan ahead? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Chai Sen Tyng, Senior Research Officer at the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing) to break down how Budget 2026 addresses the needs of an ageing population and the people who need to care for them. 

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When it comes to the treatment of prostate cancer, the thought of surgery and radiotherapy can be frightening for some patients, even if these are the standard of care for the disease. On the other hand, not all men are suited for active surveillance, a form of vigilant monitoring for low-risk, slow-growing cancers. Therefore, there is growing interest in finding the middle ground - minimally invasive treatments that produce fewer side effects on urinary and sexual functions. But are focal therapies, such as High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), able to deliver on this promise and do we approach this relatively new treatment with caution?

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In our open clinic session, two consultant geriatricians - Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin and Dr Kejal Hasmukharay - join us to answer questions about vaccinations for older adults. What kinds of vaccinations are important, who needs them, and how safe are they?

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Palliative care is still taboo to speak about, because of how it’s associated with a dying patient. Then, picture a doctor telling parents that their young child requires palliative care, it’s an entirely terrifying situation for any parent. But palliative care plays a vital role in ensuring that any child with a serious illness can still lead a good quality of life - and essentially be a child. We find out more from Dr Chong Lee Ai, a senior lecturer in the Pain and Palliative Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Malaya, and Chris Ng, a play therapist. 

We also find out about their efforts to set up an out-of-hospital paediatric palliative care centre. To find out more and support their work, visit their website here.

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The Ministry of Finance had promised that Budget 2026 would tackle healthcare reform, address rising medical costs, and strengthen health security. Does it deliver on those promises? We analyse the Budget's healthcare allocations, with Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy, and Dr Amjad Rabi, Social & Human Security Economist.

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Caring for patients with serious or terminal illnesses is not an easy feat. On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, and in conjunction with World Hospice & Palliative Care Day (14 Oct), we speak to June Thow, a palliative care nurse practitioner, about providing comfort, dignity and peace to people at their most vulnerable.

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Getting old isn’t a diagnosis. Whether it’s hearing and memory, or vision and mobility, you don’t have to lose what makes life joyful. At BFM’s recent ‘Mind, Body, Years: A Lifelong Health Journey’ forum, we invited people to join us in challenging the myths of ageing. This is an edited replay of the panel discussion. 

This event was presented by Subang Jaya Medical Centre.

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Over the years, we’ve improved leaps and bounds when it comes to awareness of breast cancer and the data on women diagnosed early with breast cancer seems to be proof of that. In spite of that, it’s still not unheard of for women to decline to do mammograms. But why? And what does this tell us about how we can continue breast cancer awareness programmes? In conjunction with Pink October, we speak to Sumitra Selvaraj, assistant general manager, and Jeovelyn Samoya, community outreach nurse, both from Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia (BCWA), to find out how we can turn breast cancer awareness into breast cancer action. 

To follow BCWA’s activities, follow them here.

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Mental health is one of the most urgent public health issues in our population, yet often the funding for mental health services falls far behind compared to other health issues. Ahead of the tabling of Budget 2026, we take a look at the gaps in mental health care and access that need to be addressed, and how much that can be plugged with more funding, with Cindy Chew, Head of Community Development at Thrive Well and Assoc prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin, consultant psychiatrist at University Malaya Medical Centre. 

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Malaysia’s health system is under strain—public hospitals face long waits and staff shortages, while private healthcare costs and medical insurance policies keep rising. As the federal budget approaches, there’s urgency for reforms that make care more affordable and sustainable. The private sector has a big stake in this conversation, so Dr Kamal Amzan, CEO of IHH Healthcare Malaysia, joins the show to unpack what he hopes to see in the upcoming budget, and the kinds of reforms needed to put Malaysia’s health system on a stronger footing.

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