Extreme heat exposure can be deadly, and one of the ways that could happen is through kidney damage. It’s not a consequence of higher temperatures that people think about but it is a concern, especially among those who work outdoors, and sometimes the damage can be irreversible. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by consultant nephrologist Dr Sunita Banavandan and occupational health physician Dr Abed Onn to dive into this consequence of climate change and how we can protect those who are most vulnerable.

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The Ministry of Health is set to introduce the Rakan KKM some time this year, an initiative said to offer “premium economy” services to the public at public healthcare facilities. Among other things, the public will be able to access “personalised care, their choice of specialist, as well as enhanced privacy”. But while the Ministry of Health touts this as a win-win-win situation, many experts have also criticised this system and called it a move towards privatisation of healthcare. We speak to Dr Amjad Rabi, a social and human security economist to find out how this initiative could play out and what it will ultimately mean for Malaysians’ access to healthcare.

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When exercising, trainers and coaches often speak about the importance of strengthening your core - you might even have seen this on TikTok videos. But what does this actually mean beyond just strengthening your abs? Are they one and the same? We speak to consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harjeet Singh to find out.

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While public housing in Malaysia aims to keep low-income communities out of slums, we’ve seen that it is not enough to merely provide a roof over their heads. The numbers of urban poor are rising, and they’re struggling to achieve basic quality of life. According to a 2022 report by Think City, half of the public housing population in Malaysia do not have enough money to buy food, and children are growing up with significant rates of malnutrition, including being underweight, overweight and stunted. Hana Zulkifli, Senior Manager, Environment & Social, from Think City, joins us to look at how public housing transformation can improve public health outcomes, while Cindy Chew, Head of Community Development from Thrive Well, shares about Kelip, a programme to train and empower community members in PPR flats.

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The Ministry of Health is planning to roll out social health insurance, in a bid to make healthcare - including private healthcare - more accessible to all. But what will this look like and will it achieve its objectives? We break this down with Prof Dr Maznah Dahlui, public health medicine specialist and health economist from Universiti Malaya.

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The recent spate of heavy vehicle accidents has raised concerns over the severity and long-term consequences of trauma injuries, particularly head trauma. We delve into the issue with consultant neurosurgeon Dr Vickneswaran Mathaneswaran.

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If you’re a salaried employee, your monthly payslip will state a small contribution to the Social Security Organization or PERKESO. Where do these funds go, and how do they contribute towards your medical needs if you suffer from an injury or illness related to your job? And looking more broadly, what role does PERKESO play in complementing our healthcare system, not only in treatment but also prevention of diseases? We speak to Dr Azlan Darus, Head of Prevention, Medical and Rehabilitation Division from PERKESO.

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We keep being told that there is a ‘fertility crisis’ as people continue to have fewer children or none at all. But is there really a crisis brewing? We explore reasons why people are choosing to not have children and why this is a problem with sexual and reproductive health rights, with Dr Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Country Representative for Malaysia, and Tengku Aira Tengku Razif, Assistant Representative with UNPFA Malaysia.

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Palliative care should be an important part of most healthcare workers’ training, because its goal is to alleviate suffering and improve the quality of life of patients with serious illnesses. But out of 32 medical schools in the country, only 5 require palliative care training for doctors. When it comes to nursing schools, the number goes down to zero. We speak to Ednin Hamzah, CEO of Hospis Malaysia and Niensi Atarah Akiu, palliative care nurse at Two Tree Lodge in Kuching, to find out why this training matters.

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Are students today under too much pressure, as academic demands increase? Or are young people today just less adept at dealing with stress? Licensed and registered counsellor Hanurekha Muniandy, joins us to answer questions about stress among children and teenagers, and how to help them cope.

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