Helping seniors stay healthy

WITH Malaysia just eight years away from seeing 15.3% of its population made up of those aged 60 and over, there is a dire need for tertiary education institutions to produce more occupational therapists to meet the rising demand.

Pointing to a shortage of occupational therapists in the country, Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society president Prof Dr Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman said having more medical schools and public universities that are supported by the government to provide occupational therapy programmes at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels can help alleviate the lack of therapists in the country.