Act now to protect the health of our school kids
The problem of unhealthy food being sold in school canteens is not new. For some years now this problem has been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities, but CAP's efforts in calling for a healthier young generation has fallen on deaf ears. The Guidelines states that food containing excess sugar, salt and fats, instant noodles, ice confectionaries, artificially-coloured drinks, flavoured drinks, tea and coffee, and fizzy drinks are not encouraged.
Depression and its many causes
We all feel “down” or “blue” at times. All of us have days when we feel “depressed”. Usually, these feelings are temporary, and we can have a great day tomorrow. Even when we have a bad day, we can still find enjoyment in things. These occasional bad days are part of life and not depression.Sometimes though, these feelings may persist for several days or even weeks. This is common following the break-up of a relationship or other unpleasant event. In many cases, the sadness or depressed mood may accompany problems such as loss of appetite, overeating, sleeplessness, excessive sleeping, lack of energy and drive, loss of interest and joy, etc. This is when depression becomes a medical illness.
Need for proper audit of medical items in government hospitals
Is the recent dumping of unused medical items at the Penang Hospital just the tip of the iceberg to a much bigger problem of lack of supervision over procurement, use and disposal in government hospitals?
What society needs, and what consumers deserve is proactive action on the part of the government, namely the Ministry of Health, to ensure a proper monitoring system over all dealings of hospital with suppliers. It is not prudent spending for hospitals to waste taxpayers’ money to buy medical items in quantities or of types that they do not need, and then to simply discard them.
Asbestos: Malaysia should make sure ban stays in place
The Consumers Association of Penang called for a complete ban on all forms of asbestos way back in 2001. This was due to the rising number of cases of asbestos-related diseases due to the intensive use of asbestos in the past and the fact that some countries, including Malaysia, continue to use chrysotile.
In a recent consultation with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) on 28 March 2011, a consensus was reached on the banning of asbestos, including chrysotile. Representatives of APCO Worlwide who were also at the meeting, objected to the inclusion of chrysotile in the ban on the basis that Malaysia would face economic losses by doing so. It was emphasized by those present and by DOSH that the use of chrysotile, is in any case being phased out by the industry.
Call on government to address over-prescribing at source – and not just the fallout
CAP views with apprehension the Ministry’s strategy to tackle the fallout created by over-prescription, rather than the underlying cause, by calling on the public to return unused or expired medications at selected government medical centres and hospitals. The rationale for the move initiated last year is to protect the environment against indiscriminate disposal of expired medications, and save government cost from the reuse of unopened, good condition medications.
