Allah (s.w.t) has created innumerable distinct creatures and mentioned to us about their special qualities through His revelation. The Qur’an is the ultimate source of guidance for its followers for all aspects of life including science. If one is to study nature scientifically there are countless observable facts that are parallel to the teachings of Islam. One of these facts is echolocation found in bats and dolphins. These animals generate ultrasonic signals and detect the echoes reflected back to them to map out their environment and catch prey. Modern health sciences have already adopted this phenomenon in the form of ultrasound imaging for diagnosis of certain diseases. However, there is room for improvement in the overall performance of this technique. This article highlights the technological developments directly inspired by nature i.e., crawfish/crayfish and relates echolocation characteristics of bats and dolphins with basic principles of ultrasound imaging. In-depth studies on the echolocation properties of these creatures can lead to further improvement in the current ultrasound imaging technique. Such as; the construction of a transducer which simultaneously generates multi-frequency ultrasound signals and development of new interpreting software. Moreover, reading verses of the Holy Qur’an heartily and enthusiastically will lead to the development of innovative ideas that can be translated into reality and applied for the betterment of humankind.
This preliminary study investigated the: (i) level of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among members of Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences (KAHS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) regarding Islamisation of knowledge (IOK); (ii) correlation of KAP and IOK with the duration of service and level of exposure to IOK-related activities; (iii) comparison of KAP between departments in KAHS towards the understanding of IOK, and (iv) level of KAP in IOK between KAHS academics and non-academic staff. Since studies on the integration of religious worldview in health sciences faculties are scarce, this study will be investigating the effectiveness of IOK programmes at the faculty level. A total of 74 staff participated in the study. The response rate was 65.5% out of 113 distributed questionnaires. All respondents have average knowledge (50±28%) in IOK and showed positive attitude (78±32.5%) towards IOK. The knowledge of Islamisation in KAHS correlates positively with the duration of service (p
MeSH terms: Optimism; Faculty; Islam; Malaysia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities
Introduction: Substance abuse is both a social and public health problem with a substantial burden to society. Opioid dependence results in unemployment, crimes, family disruption, and transmission of diseases. In Malaysia, methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) has been introduced as a harm reduction method. However, relapse during treatment remains an issue to be resolved that hinders successful outcome in the therapy. Spirituality in the treatment of substance abuse disorders has yet to be fully explored. This study aims to examine how MMT clients who relapsed perceive spiritual deficits as an influence and association of spiritual practice with relapse. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study done from June-July 2016. All MMT clients undergoing therapy at 3 treatment centers in Terengganu, Malaysia who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria and consented were included in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was filled via face to face interview and spiritual practice was assessed using Hatta Islamic Religiosity Scale. 121 questionnaires were assessed and data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 for quantitative data. Results: All respondents were males of Malay race and Islamic religion. Current relapse, defined as any episode of intake of opioid for the past one month after a period of abstinence was 34%. Only three out of 42 clients who relapsed had some spirituality theme in their perceived cause of their relapse. However, a significant majority of those relapsed had a spiritual practice score of less than the mean practice score. Conclusion: Relapse in opioid addiction remains high in those receiving MMT in Terengganu, Malaysia. Spirituality may have a subconscious influence towards relapse in addiction in MMT clients. Further effort should be taken to inculcate spirituality intervention effective to prevent relapse which may contribute towards achieving a more successful therapy outcomes.
The advancement in human stem cell research has promised a viable alternative treatment for a range of ‘incurable diseases’ such as neurological diseases. To date, several studies have documented substantial evidences on the therapeutic properties of stem cells in promoting repair in different diseases including common neurological disorders i.e. ischaemic stroke and spinal cord injury. However, the progress of stem cell research has been surrounded by ethical issues which largely due to the usage of human embryos as one of the sources. These embryonic stem cells which originally derived from human embryo of aborted foetus or already existing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) lines, has sparked an intense moral and religious argument among people of various faith, including Muslim community. From the therapeutic point of view, amongst the currently available stem cells, hESCs show the greatest potential for the broadest range of cell replacement therapies and are regarded as the most commercially viable. This review focuses on the major ethical issues, particularly to Muslim community, related to human embryonic stem cells research with special emphasis on the moral status of the embryo and the beginning of life according to the Islamic ethics and rulings. In this paper, we also discuss some ethical positions towards embryonic stem cell research in the Islamic world, including official regulations existing in some Muslim countries. We examine the justification and the necessity on the usage of hESCs following the newly discovered Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs) in the laboratory. In addition, we supplement the discussions with the general views and positions from the other two Abrahamic religions i.e. Christianity and Judaism.
MeSH terms: Human Embryonic Stem Cells; Christianity; Humans; Islam; Judaism; Morals; Nervous System Diseases; Spinal Cord Injuries; Stroke; Beginning of Human Life; Aborted Fetus; Embryonic Stem Cells; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Stem Cell Research; Moral Status
The Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counsellors (MBFPC) is the pioneer of non-governmental organization (NGO) of trained breastfeeding peer counsellors in Malaysia initiated in 2010. The training was done in a systematic way using a developed syllabus that was adapted from and endorsed by the La Leche League International (LLLI) to suit our local population. Training materials used throughout the program were presentation slides, demonstration tools, mantas and role-plays. Materials and methods: In 2015, MBFPC partnered with Global Health Media Project (GHMP) to incorporate breastfeeding videos as training tool to further enhance the delivery of current breastfeeding peer counsellor trainings to the participants, emphasizing on helping breastfeeding mothers. The new training tool was evaluated in 38 participants, who underwent 21 hours of training. Participants were required to do pre and post-assessments to complete the MBFPC Modules, view 8 videos and do practical sessions within a 2 month period post training. Participants’ field experience survey and focus group discussions were conducted among the participants and the trainers to look at the practicality of the videos in our training. Results: All participants felt that the videos made the training more effective and helped change their understanding and approach. The trainers agreed that the videos had covered all key topics need to be delivered in the training modules and helped them to deliver most important topics in helping breastfeeding mothers in a more practical way. Conclusion: GHMP Breastfeeding Videos are suitable as educational and training tools in helping breastfeeding mothers in our training.
MeSH terms: Breast Feeding; Counseling; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Mothers; Organizations; Peer Group; Pregnancy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sexual Partners; Global Health; Focus Groups; Parturition; Counselors
The Kulliyyah of Medicine of IIUM has pioneered the Islamization of Medicine in Malaysia since its establishment in year 1994. Therefore, it is timely to review publications on Islamization by the kulliyyah and also to propose a classification system in the field of researches to promote an organized, comprehensive, inclusive and relevant Islamization process. The aim is to review and classify publications on Islamization performed by the members of Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). All researches and publications deposited in the IIUM Repository (IREP) under the Kulliyyah of Medicine between 1st of January 2000 and 31st of August 2016 were reviewed. Journal articles, posters and proceedings with Islamization themes were identified. These publications were classified based on common themes to either of the following; 1) "Islamic Principles and Related Rulings in Medicine"; 2) "Medical Treatment for Muslim Patients"; 3) "Islamic Input in Medical Practices"; 4) "Ruqyah and Tibb an-Nabawi in Contemporary Medicine". A total of 1616 items (journal articles, abstracts and proceedings) were reviewed. Sixty-one (3.8%) of them were related to Islamization. The major contributors to writings in Islamization are the Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Rehabilitation Department (10%) followed by the Internal Medicine Department (7.9%), from their total deposits in the IREP database. Majority (36.5%) of work were done in "Islamic Principles and Related Rulings in Medicine", which dwells in subjects such as euthanasia, autonomy and doctor-patient relationship followed by "Islamic Input in Medical Practice" (28.6%) which was related to topics in the medical curriculum such as Fiqh Ibadah for the sick. Twenty-three point eight percent (23.8%) of work were in the "Medical Treatment for Muslim Patients" which focuses on Ramadan and diabetes and joint problems and Solat. Minimal work (7.9%) was done in the "Ruqyah and Tibb an-Nabawi in Contemporary Medicine" category. Low number of publications on Islamization was deposited in the IREP database for the past 15 years. Based on the proposed classification system, majority of publications were on "Islamic Principles and Related Rulings in Medicine" and "Islamic Input in Medical Practice". More work is required on the theme of "Medical Treatment for Muslim Patients" and "Ruqyah and Tibb an-Nabawi in Contemporary Medicine".
Seaweed industry is important in several countries including Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The seaweed, Kappaphycus is widely used in a variety of food products as an excellent nutritional supplement. There are several stages in producing raw Kappaphycus for industry such as cultivation and harvest. Most of these steps follow a traditional way which has been practiced from one generation to another. As seaweed is part of the main ingredients in many final produce, its processing must incorporate cleanliness and quality aspect. Therefore, a focus on Halal is of utmost importance. Halal is a concept that stresses on shariah law and ensuring the utmost quality which benefits most producers especially in food and supplement products. However, the knowledge of Halal is still limited in marine production including seaweed. The seaweed process has gone through numerous stages yet none of them has been checked on its
Halalness aspect. This study is to deliberate on the aspect of Halalness for each stage involved, including cultivation and harvesting. To achieve this, observations and literature search were performed and findings showed that there is lack of hygienic practices in handling seaweed production. Therefore, conjoint initiatives among university-industry-government are needed to enhance the value proposition of the seaweed production as it complies with the concept of Halalness. This will contribute towards the development of Halal ecosystem from seed to harvest of quality seaweed production.
Following the announcement of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2013, Muslim faith healers are slowly gaining grounds to make their practice mainstream. One of the major characteristics of Muslim faith healers is the strong inclination to attribute mental illnesses to Jinn possession (demonic possession). Unlike other traditional healers, Muslim faith healers’ primary mode of treatment is Ruqyah, an incantation or generally considered as ‘Du’a or prayers. This article is a sharing by a psychiatrist who has been actively engaging with faith healers in order to understand the world of faith healing including the attitude and knowledge of both the healers and clients while attempting to educate them on modern psychiatry based on bio-psycho-socio-spiritual paradigm. The methodology: 1) Involvement in symposium, seminar and focused group discussion, either as participant or as speaker. 2) Collaborating with local spiritual leader to conduct workshop on mental illness in mosques. 3) Writing articles in scientific and popular publications with and without faith healers as the collaborators. 4) Appearing in radio advocating and discussing about the dilemma of mental illness issue from the religious perspectives, and 5) Participate in workshop conducted by Muslim faith healers. As a result, several issues come to the author’s attention. The divisions of Muslim faith healers are rather complicated, for example Malay traditional healers or bomoh should not be categorized in the same group as Muslim faith healers. The oft-quoted ‘Islamic Medicine’ is problematic in view that it is laced with elements of local cultural value and practice which are not necessarily authentically Islamic. Since Malays make up the biggest community in Malaysia, one has to differentiate between Islam and Muslim. Majority of Muslims misunderstood the term Ruqyah as a form of healing exclusively done by the Muslim faith healers. In conclusion, psychiatrists should engage more proactively with faith and spiritual healers in order to curb stigmatization and delay in seeking psychiatric care and treatment.
This paper presents a conceptual approach to the integration of Islamic perspectives into a Medical Imaging Curriculum to the concept of Outcome-Based Education (OBE). This work is seen within the context of harmonising Islamic principles to a currently accepted concept in education. Although there have been discussions that question the concept of OBE, this paper contends that the integration can benefit from the practicality aspect of OBE. This can reduce the complexities and fatigue in addressing the integration using an educational approach that is different to that being applied to the human sciences. This paper features the main elements in OBE in the form of Islamic programme educational objectives, Islamic programme outcomes, and Islamic domain learning outcomes. The justification to use domain learning outcomes instead of course learning outcome is given. The teaching and learning strategies, as well as the assessment, are examined through a lens that serves to provide a desirable, practical and holistic model of Islamic integration. It is felt that the currently accepted teaching and assessment methodologies can be adapted for the integration exercise. This work also highlights two often overlooked elements of OBE; teacher and student characteristics. The various terminologies that describe the Islamic teacher characteristics and the differences in student learning styles and preferences are presented. Furthermore, suggestions are made to align the assessment of the integration to various taxonomies of learning, with the aim in evaluating the internalisation of the Islamic essences. This work contents that a holistic approach towards integration of Islamic perspectives into Medical Imaging curriculum can be realised.
MeSH terms: Curriculum; Diagnostic Imaging; Emotions; Fatigue; Humans; Learning; Students
Reproductive and Maternal health are an important components of public health and medicine which are concerned with the complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing in all matters regarding reproductive system and health of mother especially during pregnancy.It implies ensuring that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. However, according to World Health Organization, millions of women all over the world do not have access to good quality health services during pregnancy and childbirth resulting in mortalities. Islam is a complete way of life. The Qur’an and Hadith consider pregnancy and child bearing as signs among other signs of the divine existence of Allah.The importance of maternal and reproductive is thus not unexplained in the Islamic perspectives. The study look at what role Muslim religious leaders can play in the prevention of maternal deaths and morbidities in developing countries. A qualitative study was conducted through in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion with a purposive sample of some Muslim religious leaders from Gusau local government area of Zamfara state northwest Nigeria in order to elicit information about the Islamic perspectives of reproductive and maternal health and the roles they can play in the prevention of maternal deaths among the Muslim communities. Muslim Religious leaders have a crucial role and contribution for the attainment and maintenance of good heath of women and children among Muslim communities through public enlightenment in the context of ‘ilm’, providing guidance through ‘Fatwah’ and community mobilization in the spirit brotherhood ‘ukhuwah’.Islam does not accept the “preventable death of a woman” due to childbirth or pregnancy. Thus, Islam encourages attendance of antenatal care visits and health care seeking.
MeSH terms: Maternal Health; Child; Developing Countries; Female; Genitalia; Humans; Islam; Morbidity; Mothers; Local Government; Nigeria; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care; Public Health; Focus Groups; Qualitative Research; Parturition; Delivery, Obstetric; Maternal Death
Venom is a mixture of biologically active toxins that affect normal physiological functions. With the advance in technology, the complexity and functions of venom and its toxins are slowly being revealed. It has become important source for therapeutic, diagnostic and cosmetic agents. However, there is concern among the Muslim community pertaining to halal and safety issues on the venom and venom-derived product usage. There are few studies that discuss the Islamic views in the usage of venom and venom-based product in medicine and cosmetic applications. There is a need for Muslim scientists and scholars to seriously identify the potential ethical and safety issues in the usage of venom and venom-derived products in view of the widespread application in medicine and cosmetic, which subsequently forming the basis for relevant and reliable shariah ruling. This is an attempt to review the relevant articles based on the following keywords: venom and Islamic ruling, venom-based product, venom and medicine, venom and cosmetic, antivenom, venom toxin, snake poison and venom diagnostics. It will also attempt to clarify and elaborate the implication of the “halal” status for venom-based product. Finaly the current available shariah rulings on the usage of venom and venom-based product both in medical and cosmetic area and the related principle of fiqh involved will be analyzed. The findings from this review, particularly the current available ruling will allow various parties to be well informed on the current ruling and related issues on the usage of this products.
It is well established that accidental and non-accidental injuries/child abuse and neglect (CAN) are a
major public health problem globally. Not only do they affect individuals, injuries affect families, the
community, government and internationally as well. Injuries span throughout childhood and into
adulthood. Purpose of this study is to identify what are the difficulties and challenges in identifying
and reporting CAN cases at the emergency (ED) department in Malaysian hospitals. Thirty in-depth
interviews were conducted at the ED in three major hospitals in the Klang Valley, Malaysia which
consists of specialists, medical officers, nurses and medical assistants. The study found that there is a
significant gap identified in medical professionals’ knowledge and skills related to understanding,
identifying and detecting CAN, particularly among medical officers who are in charge of diagnosis and
reports in the hospital. Those who had previous experience or encounters in dealing with CAN cases
would have higher suspicion index compared to those who haven’t. Other medical professionals such
as nurses and medical assistants although do not have the mandate to diagnose or report of CAN cases,
needed to have the basic knowledge and awareness and play more active role in their respective settings.
Floods are known to be commonly occurring natural disasters in most part of the world. In 2014, the
east coast of Peninsular Malaysia was affected by the worst flood ever recorded in history. The worst
flood affected area were Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. The 2014 flood caused physical and
monetary losses amounting nearly millions of dollars. Among the worst hit infrastructures in 2014 flood
disaster were hospitals. This has led to the realization of hospital disaster preparedness and management
is important which needs to be closely monitored and addressed. This paper investigates the disaster
preparedness level of selected hospitals affected by flood disasters in Kelantan. Guided interviews with
the flood-affected hospital disaster committees were carried out and summarized in a summary table to
give a clear picture of the level of hospital disaster preparedness during the 2014 flood disaster. The
results show that despite the existence of disaster action plan and protocols there is no standard disaster
preparedness model being used by hospitals.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Attitudes toward Statistics (USM-AS) is a newly developed, selfadministered inventory for measuring attitudes toward statistics among postgraduate students. The
USM-AS consists of three factors (affect, cognition, and behavior) and 58 items. This study was
aimed to validate the USM-AS and provide evidence of its construct validity by investigating its
internal structure. This study consists of four validation studies, which were conducted consecutively
among postgraduate students (master’s degree and PhD students) in the medical and health sciences.
The revised USM-AS, consisting of three factors and 12 items, was found to have good construct
validity, which was demonstrated by good model fit, high factor loadings (0.62 to 0.92), high
construct reliability (0.84 to 0.89), good discrimination between factors and good test-retest reliability
(intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.63 to 0.82). However, validity was limited to postgraduate
students in the medical and health sciences in Malaysia. Further validation studies among
postgraduate students in other scientific fields are recommended to provide additional construct
validity evidence of the USM-AS.
Many educators adopt feedback models from articles and books which contain various feedback
strategies rather than depending on their own experiences. Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (MiniCEX) is a Workplace-Based Assessment (WPBA) that requires the examiner to observe the student
performing a focused task within 15-20 minutes at the clinic or ward with compulsory immediate
feedback. The aim of this study is to identify the feedback strategies adopted by family physician
lecturers during the feedback session at the end of the mini-CEX assessment. A qualitative methodology
using indirect observation was adopted for this cross-sectional study. Thirty-three Mini-CEX feedback
sessions were selected using a purposive sampling involving 33 Final Year Medical Students and
fourteen Family Physician lecturers at the Department of Family Medicine, National University of
Malaysia. The feedback sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using content analysis.
Results showed eight feedback strategies were adopted in the feedback sessions. The majority of the
feedback sessions were conducted in a dialogic approach through self-reflection (96.7%). However, the
students’ contribution was minimal in student’s plan for improvement (36.3%) and self-scoring
(39.4%). 90.9% of the students were also praised on their correct performance and received plan for
improvement. From 60.6% of the candidates who were informed of their final scores, 45.4% of the
scores were justified. 24.2% of the students were offered to ask questions during the feedback session.
More exposure to various feedback strategies may provide better advantage for the students to monitor
and improve their level of achievement. Adopting a dialogic feedback approach is crucial to encourage
a sense of belonging in the process of feedback.
This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of medical students towards use of internet in problembased learning (PBL). Methods: A descriptive observational approach was followed in analysis of perceptions about use of internet in a convenience sample of 141 students. A questionnaire was selected after analysis of perceptions received from a pilot study and was divided into three aspects of the PBL sessions. Students’ and facilitators’ role in PBL, mode and scope of use of internet in PBL and reasons for use of internet in PBL. Descriptive analysis of the data was done. Significant difference between the mean values was analyzed. A difference in agreement among the students was observed about the role of lecturer in the process of PBL. A higher percentage of students (65.2%) agreed that they used internet to search for information during PBL session 1 compared to PBL session 2 (58.2%). Majority of the students (81%) agreed on searching internet for new information. Regarding preparation for PBL session 2, comparatively more students from earlier semesters agreed about using textbooks than using internet. Higher percentage of students searched internet for information on clinical sciences (52.5%) compared to basic sciences (24.8%). Among basic science subjects, information related to pathology was searched more often and information on management was searched more often among clinical science topics. Students actively use internet for searching new information and learning during PBL sessions. They also use textbooks to prepare for PBL session. Online search for journal articles is not popular.
Medicinal plants become very important in our days for their therapeutic benefits to humankind. It sustains human health, and it is commonly known as herbal medicines since ancient times. Annona muricata is a heart-shaped fruit that is consumed raw or as the fruit juice in the tropical area. A. muricata is used in traditional and alternative medicine to treat different ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, respiratory and skin illness, inflammation and cancer. A. muricata contains essential anticancer agents named acetogenins that play the significant role in various cancer types. Acetogenins are strong nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase inhibitors of the cancer cell's mitochondrial membrane but showed neurotoxic effects in rats. Therefore, acetogenins need to be further investigated to determine the exact mechanisms of action, long-term safety, optimal dosage, and potential side effects. Given the extensive studies on A. muricata, this review focuses on the phytochemistry, medicinal uses, biological activities and the mechanisms of action for the fruit extracts and acetogenins, to stimulate further studies on the fruit pulp used for human consumption.
MeSH terms: Fruit and Vegetable Juices; Complementary Therapies; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Central Nervous System Agents; Diabetes Mellitus; Fruit; Humans; Hypertension; Inflammation; NAD; Neoplasms; Oxidoreductases; Plants, Medicinal; Herbal Medicine; Annona; Mitochondrial Membranes; Rats; Acetogenins
In contrast to classic Turner syndrome, Turner patients with ring X chromosome are associated with distinct dysmorphism and are likely to be mentally impaired. Four Turner patients with ring X chromosome were examined for phenotypic features of Turner syndrome and additional dysmorphism. Both patients 1 and 2 are twins with normal intelligence whereas patients 3 and 4 have mental impairment. With the exception of patient 4, the other three patients only have few Turner characteristics. None of the patients have the distinctive dysmorphism previously reported in Turner syndrome with ring X chromosome. Both twins developed spontaneous puberty. Patients 3 and 4 however had no spontaneous puberty. We postulate that this variation may be related to the ring size, the proportion of 45,X and ring X chromosome in cell lines of various body tissues as well as the ability of these rings to be inactivated as a result of lyonisation.
MeSH terms: Cell Line; Humans; Intelligence; Intellectual Disability; Sexual Maturation; Turner Syndrome; X Chromosome; X Chromosome Inactivation
Isolated lower cranial nerve (CN) palsy affecting the CN X resulting from a skull base fracture is very rare. The clinical manifestation and natural history is related closely to the complex anatomy of this region and mechanism of injury. Here, we report a case of a 54 year-old man who presented with a delayed onset of dysphonia and dysphagia with aspiration following a closed head injury sustained from a motor vehicle accident. Injection laryngoplasty was implemented to alleviate symptoms of his CN X palsy, which eventually almost completely resolved. High index of suspicion should be maintained when investigating possible skull base fractures, especially with a suggestive clinical presentation of lower CN palsies affecting one or all the lower CNs. Delayed onset of these CN palsies are likely to have more favourable outcomes.
Initial wound care idioms were designed around a moist dressing in presumed better wound healing. As wound care advances, innovations of dressings were formed. In the Guru-UKM Method (GUM), we combined two well-established dressings producing a synergistic effect in burn wound management. Patients with deep partial thickness burns were selected for the GUM. From the time of admission, they receive 2 cycles of paraffin tulle dressings once every two days to allow demarcation, then are reassessed for suitability of the GUM technique. We discuss 7 different burn cases that presented to our Burn Unit from January 2014 – June 2015.All dressings should create a suitable moist environment for healing, yet should be a painless dressing to help the patient return to normal function as soon as possible. In burn wounds, a suitable dressing ideally also biochemically debrides fibrin and softens hardened eschar and slough, without necessitating the patient to undergo general anaesthesia and surgical debridement. The Guru-UKM Method is a combination dressing technique that facilitates optimal burn wound management.