Columbia Asia Hospital – Iskandar Puteri (CAHIP) has taken a step ahead in raising community awareness of bone health by hosting “Bone Health Awareness Week 2021,” a one-week event at the hospital.
The main objective was to raise public awareness of bone diseases, particularly osteoporosis. Since bone loss occurs without symptoms until the bone becomes brittle enough to break (fracture) without force, osteoporosis is generally referred to as a “silent illness.” The World Health Organisation has recognised osteoporosis-related fractures as a major public health problem.
During the one-week event, a number of activities were held, including talks on osteoporosis by Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr Yoga Raj, healthy cooking demonstrations and food for bone health by the hospital’s Dietician, Yap Pau Lin, osteoporosis and exercise by Physiotherapy Manager, Adli Baharudin and bone health screening by Radiology Manager, Yong Kian Seng.
“Osteoporosis remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in Malaysia, with very little data documented on its prevalence. A key contributing factor is that awareness of the importance of bone health is extremely low, coupled with the lack of recognition of osteoporosis as a health priority. It is a silent disease with no symptoms and often goes unnoticed until patients experience a fracture,” said Dr Ding Eng Li, General Manager.
“We have always been committed to providing the best healthcare services to our patients. As a responsible private healthcare provider, the initiative of raising health awareness is one of our main responsibilities to the community we serve and we shall continue doing so,” said Dr Ding Eng Li.
In other news, CAHIP’s Accidents and Emergency Department (A&E) renovations are now completed and it is ready to provide services to the people of Johor Bahru.
With a larger waiting area, additional observation beds, a larger respiratory bay, and modern emergency equipment, it is expected to meet requirements in an emergency, where patients receive prompt and appropriate treatment. The hospital’s completed expansion project includes increasing the total number of beds to 168, as well as the opening of a Coronary Intensive Care Unit. This initiative aims to make patients more comfortable while also meeting the growing need for greater healthcare standards in Johor.
