by KT Leong
In continuing their contributions to the community, Yayasan Ipoh (YI) hosted the Clean Lungs Seminar at their Convention Centre recently.
The distinguished guests of the seminar, such as Dr. Netia Jeganathan and Dr. Lionel Chia Dick Hua from the Public Health Unit of Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB), as well as Mr. Ahmad Mu’Alzaffardan Putra Bin Kamaruddin from the Health Education Unit HRPB, brought to light the serious nature of self-destructive practices such as smoking, e-cigarettes and vaping, which have been destroying the lives of adults for years. But more concerningly, they have also been destroying the lives of children.
This is all the more disheartening as this is one health malady that is truly preventable, simply by stopping these practices (smoking, vaping etc).
Other speakers took to the stage, including Mr. Muhammad Sha’ani B Abdullah, the Secretary General of the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC), who spoke on the political aspects related to the use of tobacco products.
While it is easy to simply say that smoking should be stopped, there are political, legal and economic hurdles to overcome in order to make it a reality.
The seminar opened with a keynote by Dato Dr. Ramanathan Ramiah, the Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and CEO of YI.
The seminar was opened by Mr. Raam Kumar, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of YI, who in his opening speech, welcomed and thanked the various speakers and guests of the seminar, and spoke on how he had lived in Singapore and suffered from neverending sinusitis, but after moving back to his hometown of Ipoh, he valued the clean air which many of us take for granted.
He noted the many collaborations that YI has had with many government and non-governmental organisations, as well as the prompt and efficient treatment available at YI. On top of that, he noted the discussions they’ve had with Ophthalmologist, Dr. Bimal Kumar from the premier NewMedia Eye Hospital in the UK, who have agreed to assist YI in tracking various eye conditions by conducting regular public forums, beginning February next year.
