By Mustakim Ramli
SHAH ALAM, June 1 — The free health screening initiative organised by the Selangor government helps the early detection of non-communicable diseases (NCD), which would prevent them from worsening.
Selangor Public Health Advisory Council committee member Dr Mohammad Farhan Rusli said the lesson that can be learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, which had taken the lives of many, is that health-related issues should be taken seriously.
He said many of those hospitalised from testing positive for Covid-19 had not realised that they had other diseases.
“Looking at this trend, those who have NCDs and had suffered worse when infected by Covid-19 than those who do not have any other illnesses.
“Therefore, this free screening initiative is to detect the group,” he said during the Bual Bicara talk show titled ‘Selangor Saring: I am Healthy, So Why Get Screened’ (Selangor Saring: Saya Sihat Kenapa Perlu Buat Saringan Kesihatan), which was aired on Media Selangor Facebook last night.
Dr Mohammad Farhan said those who generally feel healthy, especially youths, should be screened to detect the diseases.
“When we get to detect it at an early stage, there is a higher chance of getting it treated. This is to avoid harsh treatments that could take up time and affect the quality of life,” he said.
The Selangor government allocated RM3.4 million for the Selangor Saring initiative, a free health screening programme that aims to reach 39,000 people, particularly those in high-risk groups.
The programme includes physical examinations, screenings of four types of cancers (colorectal, prostate, cervical and breasts) and blood and urine tests.
For further information, visit selangorsaring.selangkah.my, or contact Selcare via 1-800-22-6600 or Selangor Community Health Volunteers at drsitimariah.com/talian-suka.
