A total of 245 foreign workers was screened for various microbial and parasitic infections, as part of the pilot study on the health problems of foreign workers. The sample comprising of Indonesian and Bangladeshi workers, was selected on a non-probability basis from two sources, i.e. University Hospital and a private sector. This investigation revealed substantive number of workers with positive cases to some of the microbial and parasitic infections. KEYWORDS: Pilot study, infective agents, foreign workers
This paper involves the obtained results of an "Elective Program" project which was carried out by Phase I Medical Students of the 1998-1999 academic year at the Faculty of Medicine (FOM), University of Malaya (UM). A questionnaire was designed to survey the attitudes of teachers at FOM-UM, the subject of choice of a 4-student group who were supervised by a faculty member. Students obtained a list of faculty members (teachers) of all academic departments from the Dean's Office and rehearsed their interviewing skills prior to collecting the data of the questionnaire, within a 1-week period. Respondents were 146 out of 275 in total (53%), which included all academic ranks and clinical and non-clinical teachers. Results showed that respondents were well qualified, have enough teaching experience and teach in a variety of forms. All teachers liked to teach and were motivated; however, 15% felt unhappy about their teaching and 6% did not think that their teaching was effective. The nlajority (96%) of teachers liked their teaching to be evaluated and many revealed several means to assist and 111otivate students. Teachers felt that there was room for improvenlent in the aspect of student-teacher interactions. Results of this project revealed that FOM-UM is well endowed by qualified, motivated and caring teachers who wish for better interactions with their students. I
About 27% of the eligible respondents reported having experienced some form of dental problems in the preceding one year prior to the interview. Female respondents (57.1%) were more likely to have encountered a dental problem as compared to male respondents (22.6%). Of the various nationalities, the Thais (60.7%) and the Pakistanis were the most and least likely respectively to have encountered a dental problem in the preceding one year. This pattern among the Thais was consistent for both the male (48.4%) and female (70.6%) population. Toothache (85.0%) was reportedly the most prevalent dental problems encountered regardless of gender and nationality, followed by sensitivity to hot and cold drinks (34.4%). About 1 in 4 subjects who had dental problem reported having bleeding gums. About 1 in 4 subjects who had dental problems had consulted the doctor or dentists regarding their problem and one more than one-half had self-medicated. Overall the majority (84.4%) of the respondents have never visited the dentists in Malaysia. Lack of perceived need was cited as the main reason for this.
During the period from January 1992 up to the end of July 2001, the Burns Unit in King Khalid C Hospital treated 1735 cases of burns. The burns cases were of varying causes, age groups, degree, depth and extent. The formula used in lTeating these burns patients was a modification of Parkland fonnula. The fluid used was Ringer lactate solution. This fluid was administered for the first 3 days post burn until the general condilion of the palient was sfabilized. Early oral intake was encouraged in aU patients and was started as early as the second or the third day. Colloids were given by the end of the third or even the fourth day and according to the individual patients' needs. The results of this treatment regime significantly avoided renal complications and ensured patient rehydration. KEYWORDS; Major burns, fluids resuscitation
Many nation states, including Malaysia are undergoing development and modernization while modernization brings tremendous achievements related to social and economic wellbeing, on the other hand, it also brings along with it the various untoward effects on the nation. One of the main factors which have an impact on modernization seems to be the rapid changes in the demographic pattern. In the initial stage of modernization, mass migration of rural populations to the urban areas, has been on going in Malaysia since the seventies. In the early nineties, the robust economic development in Malaysia necessitated the import of foreign labour from the neighbouring countries in order to provide cheap labour in the labour intensive industries. This demographic changes, internal and foreign migration, parallels the economic progress of the host countries. According to the latest report from the Immigration Department, there are more than 1.2 million registered foreign workers (up to January 1998) in Malaysia. This figure may exceed 2 million if we take into consideration the illegal immigrants and this is a big proportion (about 10%) of foreign workers in which has Malaysia's population of approxiamtely 20 million. The presence of such a big number of foreign workers during less than a decade is not merely an immigration issue, but it is a major concern for the nation especially with respect to health care, housing and education. As the immigrant community is highly dynamic, the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are a great concern for Malaysia especially in formulating health policies for Malaysia currently and in the future.
Two new species of the mycoheterotrophic genus Thismia Griff. (Thismiaceae), Thismiadomei Siti-Munirah and T.terengganuensis Siti-Munirah from Peninsular Malaysia, are described and illustrated. Thismiadomei, characterized by its perianth lobes that are upright and curve inward, but are imperfectly connate, falls within sectionOdoardoa. Thismiaterengganuensis is characterized by its mitre with three appendages on its apex, so falls within sectionGeomitra. Both new species are unique and totally different from other described species, T.domei by the trichomes on its outer perianth tube surface and T.terengganuensis by its mitre with slender appendages. Thismiajavanica J.J.Sm, also from Terengganu, is a new record for Peninsular Malaysia.
Pengkomposan tandan buah kosong (EFB) dan sisa efluen kilang (POME) merupakan pendekatan lestari bagi menukarkan EFB dan POME kepada baja kompos. Pengkomposan adalah satu proses biologi yang memerlukan pengawalan yang optimum agar nutrien yang terhasil adalah tinggi dan stabil. Cabaran utama yang dihadapi oleh industri kompos ialah untuk menghasilkan kompos yang bernutrien tinggi dan stabil. Objektif kajian ini ialah untuk menganalisis prestasi jangka panjang bagi loji kompos terpilih melalui kandungan nutrien kompos yang dihasilkan. Penyelidikan ini mengkaji prestasi tiga tahun bagi empat loji kompos di Malaysia iaitu loji kompos Merotai, loji kompos Binuang, loji kompos Tanah Merah dan loji kompos Elphil. Prestasi kandungan nutrien yang diambil kira termasuklah nitrogen, kalium, nisbah karbon kepada nitrogen, kandungan kelembapan dan agregat kompos. Sebanyak 1,465 set data nutrien dianalisis secara deskriptif. Secara keseluruhannya, prestasi kandungan nutrien kesemua loji kompos yang dikaji berjaya memenuhi keperluan minimum industri sawit. Namun terdapat kes kompos yang dihasilkan mengandungi nutrien kalium yang tidak mencapai keperluan minimum industri dan kandungan kelembapan kompos yang tinggi. Kesimpulannya, masih terdapat ruang untuk penambahbaikan dalam proses pengkomposan agar kompos yang dihasilkan mengandungi nutrien yang stabil dan memenuhi keperluan minimum industri
Familial amyloid polyneuropathy is most commonly associated with variant plasma transthyretin (TTR) although it has been described in association with variant apolipoprotein A1 and gelsolin. More than 40 TTR variants, all consisting of single amino acid substitutions diskibuted widely along the length of the 127 residue TTR subunit have now been described. We report here a novel TTR variant, Glu18, in a Colombian woman with TTR amyloidosis.
Senescent-decliue in the nervous-system functions is very frequently atbibuted to age-related neurone-loss. Processes and mechanisms involved in neuro- degeneration form part of the structural frame-work for interpreting the functional consequences. The literature concerning this matter are confusing and contradicting. The behaviour of cranial nerve ganglia was studied using neuro-histological techniques. On the evidence available in the present study, the dark cells are considered as active ones; the light cells are considered as those which have failed to establish functional projections, inactive, dying, dead or degenerating ones. Probably it is during the me- dium-sized stage of cell growth, the peripheral and central processes (of axons) begin to grow from the cell body and attempt to get established in their projection fields. The light cells have appeared among the very-small cells just on the day of hatching. This probably signifies the possible attempt to elinlinate the growing cells since they are no longer needed to replace larger categories of cells which have already well- developed neuronat connections at this stage. It is assumed that the time of appear- ance of light cells might be indirectly related to the onset of establishment of active functional connections of neurones and to the functional importance of the organs which it supplies. KEYWORDS: Neurone-Loss and Ageing, Dark and Light Neurones, Sensory and Autonomic Ganglia
A pilot study on 250 foreign workers was undertaken during a 7 month period beginning December 1996. The study subjects were mainly males (88.8%). They were selected using non-probability sampling from two sources, that is, from University of Malaya Medical Centre (72.8%) and the PEREMBA group (27.2%). The study was clinic-based. Face-to-face interviews (using a structured questionnaires) were carried out to obtain socio-demographic, environmental, health and morbidity data. Physical examinations were also performed on the same day of the interview. Subjects were also required to give their stools, venous blood and urine specimens for microbiological, parasitological and clinical laboratory investigations. Chest X-Ray was done on all subjects. The other investigators had already reported findings on the various specific areas of their study. In this part of the report attempt was made to relate the infectious diseases to some of the socio-demographic and environmental variables on the 112 Indonesians and 133 Bangladeshi workers. Some aspects of health seeking behaviour of these foreign workers were also presented. Most of the Indonesian workers (84%) were from East Java, Jambi in the Sumatra, while majority of the Bangladeshis were from two neighboring administrative districts of Dhaka and Chittagong. The majority of the Indonesians (50.0%) were working in the service industry, while 53.5% Bangladeshis were in the manufacturing. One-fifth of the workers lived in squatter areas and nearly half of them were working in the service industry. About 70% of the workers had at least one infection. The proportion was slightly higher among the Indonesians (72.3%) compared to the Bangladeshis (67.7%). It is of interest to point out that 40% had multiple infections. Thirteen had five or more infections (details for the two of the thirteen cases are presented as case studies). However, the findings did not indicate any association between sanitation and infections. The Indonesian workers carried a higher risk of transmitting the diseases (33.9%) compared to 19.5% among the Bangladeshi workers. Those working in the construction industry were at a higher risk of transmitting the diseases compared to other industries. Slightly more than half of the workers experienced some form of minor illness or injury during the two week period preceding the interview. Majority sought private care (43.1%), while 42.3% either self-medicate or doing nothing at all. Nearly two-thirds paid out of their own pocket. Among the employers, those in the construction sector made negligible contribution (2.9%) to the payment. It is interesting to find that 41.0% of the workers took some form of health supplements, and the majority (48.4%) got it from the pharmacy or traditional sources. Nearly all (88.5%) paid on their own for their health supplements. The findings from this pilot project need to be interpreted with some caution. However, it appears that the foreign workers do have a considerable amount of health problems. If these are not addressed quickly it may endanger the health of the nation, while we readily acknowledge their contribution towards our national development.
This paper examines the results of a section on recent illness of the health survey among 799 foreign workers from three selected study locations. The main objective was to study illness/injury patterns and the utilisation of available health care services. It also attempts to examine the use of health supplements as an indicator of self-care. Findings indicate that the illness/injury rate was 46.6%. The illness/injury rate increased with age and was highest in the 45-54 age group (65.0%) and among the Thai workers (69.6%). The main illnesses reported were injuries and accidents (19.6%), musculoskeletal problems (18.0%) and gastrointestinal complaints (16.7%), and it varied with gender, age and nationality. Almost 90 percent of the foreign workers sought treatment at modern health care facilities, with a third utilising government health care services. The employers contributed towards 60% of all the treatment costs. Nearly a third of the foreign workers took health supplements, and the rates were higher among the younger age group (40.0%) and among the Indonesian workers (52.0%). Majority had obtained the health supplements from the pharmacies or retail shops (43.4%) and private health care facilities (35.4%), and about 70 percent paid out of their own pocket. Some of the implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.