CodeBlue

Today's Health News Recap MOH And JPA Making It Hard For Specialists To Stay The government should answer a very basic question: do we genuinely want to produce, develop, and retain more doctors, or are we creating a system that steadily reduces the number willing to stay? https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/moh-and-jpa-making-it-hard-for-specialists-to-stay-specialist/

Today's Health News Recap Why I Stayed Quiet And Why The Nicotine Victory Belongs To All Of Us There were moments during this journey when things were considerably darker than perhaps most people outside the small group involved ever realised – because there was pressure on us not to proceed with the legal challenge. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/why-i-stayed-quiet-and-why-the-nicotine-victory-belongs-to-all-of-us/

Today's Health News Recap High Court’s Nicotine Ruling Mandates Government Compliance With FCTC In Historic First Justice Aliza Sulaiman’s full written judgement on a nicotine case marks Malaysia’s biggest advancement on tobacco control. The High Court mandated government compliance with WHO FCTC, the first ruling that ties domestic policy to this international treaty. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/high-courts-nicotine-ruling-mandates-government-compliance-with-fctc-in-historic-first/

Today's Health News Recap Vape Tax Collection Invalid If Liquid Nicotine Exemption Cancelled, MOF Said In 2023 Johan Merican said in 2023 that cancelling the exemption of liquid nicotine from the Poisons List will invalidate vape tax collection. As Putrajaya now upholds a court ruling nullifying the exemption, it’s unclear if it must refund vape businesses >RM354m. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/vape-tax-collection-invalid-if-liquid-nicotine-exemption-cancelled-mof-said-in-2023/

Today's Health News Recap Scrap ‘Uncompetitive’ MediAsas, It’s Not A Game-Changer: Tanjong Karang MP Tanjong Karang MP Zulkafperi Hanapi wants MediAsas axed because it’s “not a game-changer”. Excluding pre-existing conditions means the sick/elderly might not be covered while MediAsas’ “uncompetitive” RM100,000 annual limit won’t attract the young/healthy. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/scrap-uncompetitive-mediasas-its-not-a-game-changer-tanjong-karang-mp/

Today's Health News Recap The MediAsas Mirage: How Malaysia’s Flagship Health Plan Betrayed Its Promise To The Chronically Ill The betrayal of the chronically ill is not merely a failure of MediAsas’ product design. It is a failure of political will – a refusal to confront the uncomfortable truth that voluntary, market-driven insurance cannot deliver universal protection. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/the-mediasas-mirage-how-malaysias-flagship-health-plan-betrayed-its-promise-to-the-chronically-ill-dr-rajeentheran-suntheralingam/

Today's Health News Recap Expert: Scrap MediAsas For Excluding Pre-Existing Conditions, Seven-Year ‘No Look-Back’ Health financing expert Syed Aljunid wants MediAsas axed due to its pre-existing condition exclusions and 7-year moratorium before “no look-back” kicks in, saying MediAsas is no different from private health insurance. Millions might not get coverage. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/expert-scrap-mediasas-for-excluding-pre-existing-conditions-seven-year-no-look-back/

Today's Health News Recap Over 6,200 Medical Officers Quit From 2021 To 2025: Dzulkefly 6,212 medical officers quit in 5 years from 2021 to 2025, comprising 4,380 contract and 1,832 permanent. Although contract MO resignations have been dropping annually from 2023, resignations of permanent MOs rose every year from 238 in 2021 to 498 in 2025. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/over-6200-medical-officers-quit-from-2021-to-2025-dzulkefly/

Today's Health News Recap When The Accused Becomes The Victim: The Workplace Danger We Must Discuss A workplace dispute escalates, perhaps over promotion, performance, or personal conflict. An allegation of sexual harassment is then made. Almost immediately, he may be suspended, isolated, and presumed guilty in practice, even if not in principle. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/when-the-accused-becomes-the-victim-the-workplace-danger-we-must-discuss-dr-james-jeremiah/

Today's Health News Recap Explainer: MediAsas Just Regular Private Health Insurance With Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions With age-based premium revisions and standard exclusions like pre-existing conditions, based on BNM’s FAQ, MediAsas turns out to be a regular private health insurance product but is uncompetitive against other medical plans with >RM1 million annual limit. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/explainer-mediasas-just-regular-private-health-insurance-with-pre-existing-condition-exclusions/

Today's Health News Recap MediAsas Doesn’t Cover Pre-Existing Conditions, Seven Years Before ‘No Look-Back’: BNM FAQ MediAsas has 35 exclusions, such as pre-existing conditions, similar to standard medical plans. MediAsas’ “no look-back” clause only takes effect after 7 continuous years, but claims can still be denied if non-disclosure was fraudulent/deliberate/reckless. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/mediasas-doesnt-cover-pre-existing-conditions-seven-years-before-no-look-back-bnm-faq/

Today's Health News Recap How Non-Doctors Successfully Run Private Hospitals In Malaysia PCMC CEO Tan Sok Kheng, Columbia Asia regional CEO Engku Marina and Asia OneHealthcare regional CEO/SJMC CEO Bryan Lin reveal how they run hospitals as non-doctors. Tan is a pharmacist by training; the others have qualifications in health admin/management. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/how-non-doctors-successfully-run-private-hospitals-in-malaysia/

Today's Health News Recap Starting At RM55 Premium, AIA’s RM3m Medical Plan Better Value Than MediAsas AIA’s A-Plus Health360 is superior to MediAsas for both young and old. The new AIA medical plan has an RM3 million annual limit with monthly premiums starting from RM55, comparably priced or even cheaper than MediAsas with RM100,000 limit and RM60 premium. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/starting-at-rm55-premium-aias-rm3m-medical-plan-better-value-than-mediasas/

Today's Health News Recap Nearly 1,700 Specialists In MOH Aren’t Clinicians In Hospitals: Minister Dr Dzul says 8,008 of 9,683 specialist doctors in MOH are serving in clinical positions in hospitals. The data shows that 1,675 specialists (17%) aren’t working as clinicians in hospitals. The minister didn’t specify if most of them are in admin positions. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/nearly-1700-specialists-in-moh-arent-clinicians-in-hospitals-minister/

Today's Health News Recap Study: 27% Of UM Medical Graduates Since 2018 Hold Active Singapore Registration About 27% of UM medical grads since 2018, or 314 doctors, hold active Singapore registration. Over 10% registered with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) after obtaining full registration in Malaysia. SMC-only proportion rose markedly in recent cohorts. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/study-27-of-um-medical-graduates-since-2018-hold-active-singapore-registration/

Today's Health News Recap Sexual Harassment Under-Reported In Malaysia’s Medical Profession: Doctors Senior doctors say sexual harassment is under-reported in Malaysia’s medical profession and that senior consultants are especially powerful in the public sector. Two doctors have personally witnessed or received requests for help over sexual harassment. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/sexual-harassment-under-reported-in-malaysias-medical-profession-doctors/

Today's Health News Recap Academic Moots Unique Retention, Retirement Benefits For Health Workers Prof Arshil suggests retention and retirement benefits specifically for health workers, like an EPF-plus model with dedicated retention allowances, post-retirement health coverage guarantees, and specialised hazard/longevity benefits. Attrition is costly. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/08/academic-moots-unique-retention-retirement-benefits-for-health-workers/

Today's Health News Recap Registered Autistic OKUs Rise 24% To Over 93,000 In Malaysia The number of OKUs with autism registered with JKM rose 23.5% to 93,199 people in June 2026 from 75,457 registered in June 2025. Senator Lingeshwaran wants fast-track warrants for speech therapy officers, occupational therapists, and audiology officers. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/07/registered-autistic-okus-rise-24-to-over-93000-in-malaysia/ Is Insurance Clawback Legal In Malaysia? An insurer is clawing back payments from private specialists over admissions that occurred over two years ago, supposedly because the wrong procedure codes were used. Why weren’t queries raised at the time hospital bills were issued? Are clawbacks legal? https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/07/is-insurance-clawback-legal-in-malaysia-specialist/ Promise And Pitfalls Of SWE Pathway Under SWE, we receive specialist allowance earlier, but seemingly at the expense of equitable on-call remuneration. Despite the pioneer cohort nearing completion of its first year under SWE, there’s no clear guidance on subspecialty training eligibility. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/07/promise-and-pitfalls-of-swe-pathway-pioneer-swe-cohort-member/ JPA Approves Over 13,000 New Positions For Health Workers JPA approved 13,343 new positions without trade-offs for MOH, including 1,197 for medical officers and 3,471 for nurses. Amid 15,587 existing nursing vacancies, MOH must hire over 19,000 nurses, likely to take eight years by 2034, assuming no one quits. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/07/jpa-approves-over-13000-new-positions-for-health-workers/ Health Workers Tout Salary Increments, Career Progression, Work Environment Over Proposed MOH Pension Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical assistants and public health assistants say a pension isn’t the sole health worker retention tool, responding to CodeBlue’s proposal for an MOH pension. They stress salary hikes, career progression, smaller workloads. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/07/health-workers-tout-salary-increments-career-progression-work-environment-over-proposed-moh-pension/

Today's Health News Recap Cardiac Hospital HOD Faces Two Sexual Harassment Allegations An HOD at a cardiac centre in KL has been accused of sexual harassment by at least two women – a cardiothoracic surgery trainee and a nurse – who lodged reports last May. KL police have probed the cases and referred them to Bukit Aman’s legal division. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/07/cardiac-hospital-hod-faces-two-sexual-harassment-allegations/

Today's Health News Recap Wait Time For Angiogram, PCI Up To A Year In MOH Dr Dzul says the wait times for angiogram and PCI procedures in MOH range from 2 to 12 months. Wait times for diagnostic/imaging for elective cases range from 2 weeks to 10 months. On average, MRI: 4 months, CT scan: 2.5 months, and mammogram: 2.6 months. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/07/wait-time-for-angiogram-pci-up-to-a-year-in-moh/