09/11/2025

ON SUNDAY November 9, 2025 theSunday Special XI

education programmes that help people recognise when to seek help,” he said. “ 7HFKQRORJ\ FDQ DPSOLI\ WKHVH H̆ RUWV but it cannot replace them,” he stressed. The work also requires tackling mis conceptions about disease prevention head-on. “One of the biggest challenges is mis information and the hesitancy it breeds,” he said. “The world has made incredible prog ress with vaccines and screenings, but if people have misconceptions, the very SHRSOH ZKR FRXOG EHQH¿W PRVW PD\ UHIXVH these potentially life-saving tools. Build ing trust through respectful community engagement is essential. Young Malaysians entering the health FDUH ¿HOG SOD\ D FUXFLDO UROH 3URJUHVV LQ healthcare access can feel slow, but every individual helped is a victory. If you keep your compass set on improving people’s lives, the impact will last far beyond your career.” The vision is simple: No child travelling hours for a basic vaccination, no elderly patient skipping treatment because the transport costs more than the medicine, no mother left guessing what to do when her baby is sick at night. “Knowing that our work has the poten tial to change the trajectory of someone’s life fundamentally is incredibly moving. “The dedication of healthcare profes sionals, whether in the city or deep in the rural interior, inspires us to keep building pathways so that every Malaysian can live a healthy, productive life,” Abdullahi said. This is not a story of despair, but of SRVVLELOLW\ ,W LV DERXW QXUVHV ZKR À\ LQWR villages with supplies, educators who correct misinformation face-to-face and partnerships that deliver vaccines and hope where roads end. Healthcare is not just a service. It is a promise – a promise that every Malaysian, no matter where they live, deserves to be seen, heard and healed.

Healthcare is not just a service. It is a promise that every Malaysian deserves to be seen, heard and healed.

Malaysia’s 13th Malaysia Plan calls for stronger health promotion, better literacy and equitable access to care. Digital tools, such as teleprimary care, are already helping patients connect with doctors remotely. Still, technology cannot replace D FOLQLF WKDW KDV QR VWD̆ QR PHGLFLQH RU no reliable road to reach it. “To close the gap, rural communities need doctors willing to serve outside the city, transport links that connect clinics to patients and consistent investment in

The good news is that collaboration works. In 2024, the “Leaving No One Behind” initiative, led by the National Cancer Society Malaysia with support from the Health Ministry and MSD, delivered around 300,000 HPV vaccine doses to vulnerable groups – many of them in remote parts of the country. “It was particularly impactful to see this reach communities that are traditionally hard to access,” Abdullahi said. “Each person vaccinated is potentially saved from HPV-related cancers. When the government, NGOs and private companies work together, extraordinary things can happen.” The programme did more than pro vide vaccines. It educated families about cervical cancer prevention, helping to dispel myths and build trust in modern healthcare. MSD’s commitment extends beyond

vaccination. The company has been Ma laysia’s top sponsor of clinical trials for several years, connecting local doctors and scientists to global research networks. This ensures that breakthroughs are not just imported, but also developed locally. “Successful partnerships that are in formed by community needs bridge the gap between innovation and access. “ 7KLV LV KRZ ZH WXUQ VFLHQWL¿F SURJUHVV LQWR UHDO ZRUOG EHQH¿WV ´ KH VDLG Such collaborations are essential in building systems that last. As Abdullahi explained, governments provide direction and infrastructure, healthcare providers offer clinical leadership, NGOs bring grassroots insight and private companies add resources and expertise. “ 7KLV FRPELQHG H̆ RUW DFKLHYHV EHWWHU health outcomes than any one group alone. It is important to have multi-sector collaboration to deliver lasting impact.”

TECHNOLOGY is quietly transforming how rural Malaysians access healthcare. Through teleprimary care, patients in remote districts of Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia can now consult doctors hundreds of kilometres away. Health officers at community clinics use secure digital platforms to upload patient data, transmit lab results and receive real time guidance on diagnosis or treatment. The system has proved especially useful for monitoring chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, where regular follow-up is vital.

In places with limited mobile coverage, hybrid models combine online consulta tions with periodic in-person visits by travelling doctors and nurses. The future of rural healthcare is con nected care. Technology enables early intervention, helps doctors make informed decisions faster and ensures patients are not forgotten between visits. Still, experts emphasise that connectiv ity alone cannot close the healthcare gap; it must be supported by trained staff, consistent medicine supplies and reliable transport networks.

A child is being treated at a rural clinic where doctors visit once a week.