THE MALAYSIAN PAEDIATRIC ASSOCIATION JULY 2007 FOR MEMBERS ONLY Editorial Board Unforgettable and Dr Zulkifli Ismail Dr Noor Khatijah Nurani Picturesque Terengganu MPA 2005/2007 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President The recently concluded 29th Congress of Dr Soo Thian Lian the MPA in the serene Primula Beach Immediate Past President Hotel & Resort started with a sombre skit Dr Zulkifli Ismail on palliative care as we do not want to Vice-President see it being practised during the opening Prof Zabidi Azhar Mohd Hussain ceremony. Acted solely by nursing Hon Secretary students, the audience was quick to Assoc Prof Tang Swee Fong forgive, but not forget with all the Asst Hon Secretary ‘backstage’ discussion that followed. It Dr Noor Khatijah Nurani was a pivotal discussion point among all Treasurer delegates. The rest of the congress was Dr Musa Mohd Nordin upbeat with exhibition booths crowding Committee Members the tight hotel corridors, 403 registered Dr Koh Chong Tuan delegates, an exciting social programme, a Dr Nazeli Hamzah stimulating scientific discourse and Prof Koh Mia Tuang personal memories of reunions spanning The outgoing MPA President, Dr Zulkifli, hands Dr Hung Liang Choo all three days from 8th to 10th June. over the reigns to the incoming President, Assoc Prof Syed Zulkifli Syed Dr Soo Thian Lian. Zakaria The pre-congress workshop on epilepsy Dr Selva Kumar Sivapunniam management on 7th June was look into the future of Terengganu and Co-opted Committee Members exceptionally well-attended. Conducted also promised more for the paediatric Prof Datuk Mohd Sham Kasim department of Kuala Terengganu Hospital. Dr Hussain Imam Haji by Drs Hussain Imam, Khoo Teik Beng and Mohd Ismail Wong Sau Wei with support from the The speeches by MPA President, Dr Zulkifli Dato’ Dr Zakaria Zahari other paediatric neurologists, active Ismail and the Chief Minister were then Affiliated to: participation from the more vocal of the followed by the skit above and a dance by • Malaysian Council For Child paediatricians made the whole-day session the student nurses. Welfare lively. Starting with simple classifications, • ASEAN Pediatric Federation the workshop went into high gear after The honour of our annual Bill Marshall • Asian Pacific Paediatric Association morning tea break and shifted even Memorial Lecture this year was given to – APPA (Previously Association of higher after lunch. Lucid video and EEG Dr Catherine Peckham who talked on Paediatric Societies of the South recordings of seizures were shown and Prevalence and Pattern of Chronic Illness East Asian Region in Childhood. Other prominent overseas – APSSEAR) participants were encouraged to speak and contribute to the discussion. speakers included Dr Andrew Rosenberg • International Paediatric Association who talked on the long-term outcome of (IPA) The opening ceremony was officiated by children with vesicoureteric reflux, Prof The Berita MPA is published for the Chief Minister of Terengganu, who Susan Sawyer on the Adolescent and members to keep them informed of the Chronic Illness, and Prof Usa Thisyakorn activities of the Association. gave a frank outlook of the state and the on Psychosocial Problems in HIV Survivors The views & opinions in all the articles plans that are afoot to improve the whole are entirely those of the authors unless state to be at par with the best in the and their Families. otherwise specified. world. He gave a refreshing and optimistic We invite articles and feedback from readers – Editor continued on page 6... 3rd Floor (Annexe Block), National Cancer Society Building, 66, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 2691 5379/2698 9966 Fax: 2691 3446 E-mail: [email protected] Web page: www.mpaeds.org.my BERITA MPA – JULY 2007 1 From The President MPA The Journey Ahead Let me start by saying a sincere and humble thank you to would be a significant step in making MPA the leading the members of the association for entrusting me with the platform for paediatricians and those who work towards task of serving as your president. As I had mentioned during improving child health care in the country. our banquet night at Kuala Terengganu, it is good that the presidency has crossed the South China Sea, a symbol of Another area that we can and should get more active in is MPA coming of age and truly encompassing the country, on the arena of social service. The Association gives 10% of the 50th year of our country’s independence, and the 29th the profit from our annual conferences to the Malaysian year of our Association. Paediatric Foundation. This money has been fruitfully rechanneled into various training and educational activities Firstly, I should thank our outgoing president Dr. Zulkifli over the years. As was discussed in the recent AGM in Ismail for his impeccable term of service. He has been Kuala Terengganu, perhaps it would be good if the instrumental in the success of many key programmes of the Association in conjunction with the Foundation, could Association, chief of which are the Positive Parenting and increase its activities in the realm of social/welfare projects. the Make It Safe For Kids programmes. Despite being new In the past, we have given grants to medical volunteers who in private practice, he has invested a lot of his personal time have participated in various medical relief programmes and attention into the many activities these have involved. overseas. I would like to see this dimension of social He will be a hard act to follow. conscience strengthened and developed. We have been blessed with bountiful finances as a result of successful The recently concluded 29th MPA Congress went on annual conferences. We should now look more actively into smoothly and successfully in picturesque Kuala Terengganu. giving to the community through more welfare oriented In addition to an involving scientific program, we had many projects, either through the Foundation or directly through broad smiling faces toting shopping bags filled with batik, the activities by the various state committees. keropok and lekor. Many thanks to the local organising committee, and of course, the very able secretariat under We have successfully bidded for the 2009 International the leadership of the tireless Datin Saadiah. Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) World Congress. This will be a major meeting on the world congress calendar What directions do I see for MPA in the addressing the issue of adolescent health. This comes at an coming years? appropriate time in the development of our services as we are in the midst of persuading the Ministry to officially I hope to see more active involvement by the various state extend the paediatric age coverage to 18 years. We will committees. Each committee is given seed money of have to work hard over the next two years to make this RM2,000 to start their activities at the local state level (with congress the resounding success that we have come to option for more funding on a need-to basis), but not every expect from ourselves. state has taken up this opportunity. Undoubtedly, the various paediatricians have been organising various activities So, let’s all put our shoulders to the wheel and work at the on their own initiative at their local level, often in challenging tasks ahead, or perhaps a more appropriate conjunction with various NGOs and government institutions. phrase for our present age would be Captain Kirk’s “engage I hope that they will choose MPA as their partner in these warp engines, full speed ahead”.2 activities. This will be a win-win situation whereby the administrative support and experience of the central MPA Soo Thian Lian secretariat is made available to the various states, and in President 2007-9 return, MPA is strengthened and made relevant to the medical community, and the community at large. That (continued on page 3) BERITA MPA – JULY 2007 2 Your expert guide to POSITIVE PARENTING Your expert guide to POSITIVE PARENTING Your expert guide to Positive Report We Are 7 Years Old! March 24th, 2007, Sime Darby Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur Yes, we are seven years old and we celebrated the occasion with over 300 guests, which included members of the programme’s expert partners, representatives from caring corporations, young parents and parents-to-be. The launch ceremony featured the unveiling of the all new Positive Parenting Guide and website www.mypositiveparenting.org. This was followed by a seminar entitled ‘Raise Happy, Healthy Children’ and a Q&A session which lasted well past the allotted time! ᮡ Parents and parents-to- be listen to the experts ᮤ The unveiling of the all new Positive Parenting Guide officiated by YBhg Tan Sri Datin Paduka Seri Hajah Zaleha Ismail flanked by (left to right) Dr Musa Mohd Nordin, Datuk Sam Abraham and Dr Zulkifli Ismail. “LPPKN strives to give each family the best possible start and continued support. In this regard, we find Positive Parenting an ideal complement to our efforts. Of interest to us is Positive Parenting’s efforts to inculcate skills and best practices in parenting, expert medical and nutritional information, injury prevention, coverage of common Dr Yong Junina Fadzil on Assoc Prof Dr Tan Ay Eeng concerns like financial planning and “Caring for Your Child’s talks about “A Safe & Health” Comfortable Pregnancy” children’s education, and even prevailing social issues, like divorce, communication breakdown and child abuse. “By adopting a consumer-friendly approach to spread the teachings of Positive Parenting as widely as possible, the Malaysian