CodeBlue

Today's Health News Recap Lindung 24/7 Backlash Tests Support For Mandatory Social Insurance: Socso Lindung 24/7 was widely opposed because Malaysians resist sharing unforeseen risks, says Socso’s deputy CEO Edmund Cheong. He believes long-term care insurance may be more acceptable because ageing is inevitable, but contributions must remain mandatory. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/lindung-24-7-backlash-tests-support-for-mandatory-social-insurance-socso/

Today's Health News Recap Penang Hits Ambulance Response Target With Community Responders State exco Daniel Gooi says Penang is the only state that has achieved the national ambulance response target, due to community responders. About 58% of its Priority 1 emergency calls this year were responded to within 15 minutes, surpassing the 50% KPI. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/penang-hits-ambulance-response-target-with-community-responders/

Today's Health News Recap Ranau Hospital Crisis: Doctors Working 48 To 72 Straight Hours Only 8 medical officers are running Ranau Hospital. We are on daily on-calls here, working for 48 to 72 consecutive hours, followed by 5-15 hours’ rest, before resuming another 48- to 72-hour shift. None of us have had a single day off in the past month. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/ranau-hospital-crisis-doctors-working-48-to-72-straight-hours-medical-officer/

Today's Health News Recap Suhakam, Advocates Demand Release Of Independent Committee’s Report On 2016 HSAJB Fire Tragedy Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the HSAJB fire tragedy that killed 6 patients, the worst hospital fire in history, Suhakam chair Hishamudin Yunus, Dr Milton Lum, and the Galen Centre demand that MOH publish the independent committee’s report on the fire. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/suhakam-advocates-demand-release-of-independent-committees-report-on-2016-hsajb-fire-tragedy/

Today's Health News Recap Hong Leong Assurance Reprices Medical Premiums By 9% Annually Until 2028, One-Year Deferment For 60-Somethings Hong Leong Assurance’s 2026 medical repricing involves 9% annual premium increases for 3 years (Nov 2026, Nov 2027, Nov 2028), and projected hikes at 11% in Nov 2029 and 12% in Nov 2030: cumulative 50% hike in 5 years. Certain seniors get 1-year deferment. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/hong-leong-assurance-reprices-medical-premiums-by-9-annually-until-2028-one-year-deferment-for-60-somethings/

Today's Health News Recap ‘Health, Harapan And Healing Malaysia’ Absolves PH Of Bad Policies Sean Thum’s book offers little insight into health policies in Malaysia, containing mostly motherhood statements instead and some surprisingly basic errors. The author’s reluctance to call out Pakatan Harapan or take a decisive stance on issues is notable. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/health-harapan-and-healing-malaysia-absolves-ph-of-bad-policies/

Today's Health News Recap When Perak’s Trauma Centre Has No C-Arm C-arm is essential imaging equipment that allows surgeons to see bones and implants in real time during many fracture fixation procedures. When this equipment became unavailable at HRPB, cases had to be diverted to other hospitals in the state. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/when-peraks-trauma-centre-has-no-c-arm-specialist/

Today's Health News Recap Mandate Mediation For Medical Negligence Complaints Before Lawsuits, Says APHM APHM’s Dr Kuljit Singh wants medical negligence disputes to undergo mandatory mediation before suing. He says litigation fears are also driving defensive medicine and higher health care utilisation. Doctors can’t use cost-saving for patients as a defence. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/mandate-mediation-for-medical-negligence-complaints-before-lawsuits-says-aphm/

Today's Health News Recap AIA Excluding Individual IHH Consultants From Panel On ‘Purely Commercial’ Basis: IHH IHH protests the exclusion of individual consultants from AIA’s panel, even though its hospitals remain empanelled, saying the exclusions were made on a “purely commercial” basis. Even within AIA’s Smart hospitals, doctors are classified as “Smart” or not. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/aia-excluding-individual-ihh-consultants-from-panel-on-purely-commercial-basis-ihh/

Today's Health News Recap Market Will Decide If MediAsas Is Successful: Galen Centre Galen Centre’s Azrul says the market will decide if MediAsas is successful, whereas NCSM’s Murallitharan says MediAsas isn’t relevant to people living with NCDs because it doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions. Sustainability depends on the pool size. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/market-will-decide-if-mediasas-is-successful-galen-centre/

Today's Health News Recap Long Delay In Specialist Recognition, Perform Specialist Duties But MO On-Call Rates After 6 months of SWE, it may take another 5-6 months for issuance of an SWE completion letter. NSR registration may then take a further 4-6 months. During this long admin delay, doctors may perform specialist on-call duties, but get paid MO on-call rates. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/long-delay-in-specialist-recognition-perform-specialist-duties-but-mo-on-call-rates-specialist-doctor/

Today's Health News Recap Sabah Loses Over 240 Doctors, 64% No-Shows Among Postings From Outside Sabah Sabah lost 244 medical officers, mostly in hospitals, because 333 transferred out of the state for permanent posts, but only 89 from outside Sabah reported for duty in that state. Among 269 MOs from outside posted to Sabah, there were 171 no-shows (64%). https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/sabah-loses-over-240-doctors-64-no-shows-among-postings-from-outside-sabah/

Today's Health News Recap Haze Outside, Tobacco Smoke Inside: Where Are Our Children Safe? MyWatch calls for smoke-free homes and a Budget 2027 that puts people’s health before tobacco and vape industry profits. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/haze-outside-tobacco-smoke-inside-where-are-our-children-safe-mywatch/ Health Care For All Or Only For Those Who Can Afford It? DRsForAll calls for urgent action to ensure that postcode, poverty, and purchasing power do not determine who gets the health care they need. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/health-care-for-all-or-only-for-those-who-can-afford-it-drsforall/

Today's Health News Recap It Wasn’t Time For Jessie To Die, Says Her Husband Although Larry accepts human mortality, he struggles with the sudden death of his wife, nurse Jessie Paya, in the FDS chopper crash. Larry, whose own father passed when he was 10, didn’t want their two young children to go through the same thing. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/it-wasnt-time-for-jessie-to-die-says-her-husband/

Today's Health News Recap My Children Keep Me Going, Says Alexson’s Widow Alexson’s widow, Stephanie, says she felt like she lost half of her soul when her husband died in the Long Lellang tragedy. But her two young children give her the strength to continue. She misses ordinary routines, like Alexson asking her, “What to eat?” https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/my-children-keep-me-going-says-alexsons-widow/

Today's Health News Recap Third FDS Crash Family Slams MOH’s Absent Support After complaints from two Miri families, a third victim’s family in the FDS chopper crash, pilot Captain Zainol Afiq’s widow, has denounced MOH’s silence and lack of support, saying Layang Layang Aerospace “paid for everything”. She has two young children. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/third-fds-crash-family-slams-mohs-absent-support/

Today's Health News Recap MOH Should Have Done More, Say Two FDS Crash Families The families of MA Alexson and nurse Jessie, who were killed in the FDS chopper crash, say MOH gave them little immediate support, as funeral costs were borne by Layang Layang Aerospace instead. They want additional compensation beyond ex-gratia payments. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/moh-should-have-done-more-say-two-fds-crash-families/

Today's Health News Recap Retirement And The Retiree: Reflections On Work, Identity, And Dignity From A Nurse’s Perspective Retired nurses still have an enormous amount to give, if only we can build a system that respects and welcomes their presence. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/retirement-and-the-retiree-reflections-on-work-identity-and-dignity-from-a-nurses-perspective-harjit-kaur/ The Architecture Of Health: What The World’s Financing Models Can Teach Malaysia (Part 1) Malaysia is attempting to sustain a comprehensive health care system without a sustainable financing mechanism. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/the-architecture-of-health-what-the-worlds-financing-models-can-teach-malaysia-part-1/ New Handheld Robotic Technology Powers Knee Surgery At Thomson Hospital Handheld, robotic-assisted technology at Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara for minimally invasive total knee replacement supports a more comfortable path to recovery. The robotic system gives surgeons insight into each patient’s individual knee anatomy. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/new-handheld-robotic-technology-powers-knee-surgery-at-thomson-hospital/ State Government Can Address Doctor No-Shows If Sabah Gets 40% Revenue: Masidi Sabah DCM Masidi Manjun says staff accommodation and remuneration of doctors are the federal government’s financial and constitutional responsibility, but says the state government can do much more if Sabah gets its constitutional 40% revenue entitlement. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/state-government-can-address-doctor-no-shows-if-sabah-gets-40-revenue-masidi/ Allocate Borneo Medical Service Package In Budget 2027 The federal Budget 2027 should fund a Borneo Medical Service Package to attract doctors to serve in Sabah and Sarawak. Both state governments should also allocate funding for state allowances or bonuses and to improve staff accommodation for doctors. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/allocate-borneo-medical-service-package-in-budget-2027-dr-james-jeremiah/ A Public Health Doctor Isn’t An ‘Office Doctor’ Public Health Medicine is sometimes misunderstood as admin work. But the office is only one working base. The medicine happens across communities, clinics, hospitals, laboratories, workplaces, schools and other agencies. TB shows the difference clearly. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/a-public-health-doctor-isnt-an-office-doctor-dr-mfh/ Borneo No-Shows: Doctors Today Have Other Choices If Sabah and Sarawak want to attract doctors, make them want to come. The state governments should top up their federal basic salaries by 30% to 40%, besides providing Cola/housing/regional allowances at RM6,000 a month. Fund three return flights yearly. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/borneo-no-shows-doctors-today-have-other-choices-physician/ MMA Sabah: Only 34% Of Medical Officers Showed Up For Hospital Postings MMA Sabah says only 34% of medical officers from outside Sabah posted to hospitals in the state had reported for duty (47 out of 138). If this 66% no-show rate persists till Oct 7, it will exceed the deputy health minister’s earlier 50% no-show projection. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/mma-sabah-only-34-of-medical-officers-showed-up-for-hospital-postings/

Today's Health News Recap Borneo’s Doctor No-Show ‘Crisis’ Indicates Retention Problem: Warisan Doctor no-shows for permanent posts in Sabah and Sarawak, ranging from 70% to 100% in certain facilities, are a “crisis” that should become a turning point for Malaysia’s health care workforce recruitment, remuneration, and retention, says a Warisan rep. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/10/borneos-doctor-no-show-crisis-indicates-retention-problem-warisan/

Today's Health News Recap Doctor No-Shows For Permanent Posts Hit Sabah, Sarawak On Sept 28, many medical officers (MOs) didn’t report for duty for permanent posts in Sabah and Sarawak. Doctors unofficially reported zero MOs showing up in at least four hospitals; other facilities in both states reportedly saw 70% to 76% no-shows. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2026/09/doctor-no-shows-for-permanent-posts-hit-sabah-sarawak/