KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will step up its preparedness in terms of manpower, monitoring and healthcare facilities to address the expected increase in health cases following the haze situation affecting the country.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic) said the focus would include preparing for a sharp rise in health issues such as asthma and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) due to poor air quality.
“This preparation is important, as the latest reports show that about 30 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings. This serves as a signal for us to be prepared, and I have also informed the Cabinet meeting about the matter.
“We also advise children, pregnant women, the elderly and high-risk groups to wear face masks if they experience symptoms, avoid outdoor activities and ensure they drink enough water,” he told a press conference after officiating the International Medical Device Exhibition and Conference here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Dzulkefly said the ministry was working closely with others, including the Education Ministry and the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, to address haze-related issues.
On another matter, he said he would hold a special media session next week to provide a detailed explanation of the government’s decision to withdraw its appeal against the High Court ruling in May that overturned the move to remove liquid nicotine from the list of scheduled poisons.
He said he had also presented a Cabinet memorandum at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, explaining the ministry’s position and stance on the decision not to appeal the High Court judgment.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Dzulkefly said Malaysia’s medical device sector secured RM57.17bil in approved investments involving 648 projects between 2015 and 2025, creating 131,994 high-value jobs.
He said the industry remained export-driven, with exports accounting for an average of 80% of total trade.
Medical device exports reached RM21.1bil in the second quarter of this year, driven by products such as surgical gloves, needles, catheters, electro-diagnostic equipment and orthopaedic implants.
Dzulkefly also said enforcement against unregistered medical devices had been intensified, with the ministry conducting about 15 raids between 2023 and 2025, resulting in the seizure of 1.3 million units worth RM1.68mil.
“Additionally, more than 4,000 enforcement raids were conducted involving unregistered health products, leading to over 43,000 seizures.
“As we expand trade and innovation, protecting public health and maintaining the integrity of the supply chain against counterfeit goods remain our top priorities,” he said.
