SocMed: Guidelines for Dietitians (Click Here)
Virtual Clinic: MOH's Experience 1 (Click Here)
Virtual Clinic: MOH's Experience 2 (Click Here)
Ms Mushidah Zakiah Mohd Akran
Senior Dietitian
Prince Court Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Ms Mushidah Zakiah serves as a Senior Dietitian in Prince Court Medical Centre. After obtaining her degree in Dietetics from the International Islamic University Malaysia, she has been practising as a dietitian mainly in private healthcare settings applying her knowledge and expertise in various scope of dietetics. Apart from her roles in clinical dietetics, she has vast experience in healthcare foodservice management. With more than 10 years’ experience in the field of nutrition and dietetics, she has been passionate about advocating healthy eating to the public. Her passion in the field of nutrition and dietetics is further delivered through her involvement as Assistant Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association, a professional body for dietitians in Malaysia. She has also served as Honorary Secretary and MDA newsletter editor in the past.
Ms Nurul Huda Ibrahim
Dietitian
Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur
Ms Nurul Huda Ibrahim, Senior Principal Assistant Director (Dietetic) in Family Health Development Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya. Twenty-two years experiences as dietitian in Ministry of Health, 16 years in dietetic clinical in varies medical and surgical disciplines. Currently, leading dietetics services and profession in primary healthcare, contributed to non-communicable diseases program and guidelines such as Malaysian Healthy Plate Guidelines, Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intake, Salt Reduction Strategies and iFitEr program module. Members of innovation team, innovated the easy method to calculate sodium intake, “Smart Na+”. Won first prize Innovation Award at MOH level (2018) and top three in Genovasi Malaysia DTAM Award in public category (2019). In 2020, led Dietetic and Food Services Unit at Quarantine and Low Risk Covid-19 Treatment Centre (PKRC) MAEPS Serdang. Had experience working with multi-agency in combatting covid-19 and given opportunity in applying robotic technologies in delivery food to covid-19 patients.
Virtual Clinic: MOH's Experience
Telemedicine Blueprint for Malaysian Vision 2020 was released in 1997 by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). Vision 2020 demanded healthcare system to transform the delivery of healthcare and improve outcomes. Moving away from physical healthcare delivery and toward virtual healthcare delivery is part of the healthcare transition plan. We are now living in the digital health age, nothing is impossible. The Ministry of Health's Family Health Development division was in charge of establishing virtual clinics in primary healthcare facilities. In 2019, a virtual clinic with five clinics was introduced as a Proof of Concept, focusing on the treatment of noncommunicable diseases by medical practitioners, including reviewing patient’s lab results. In 2020, virtual clinic was expended the scope of services to other consultation including dietetic services and increased number of clinics to 40 virtual clinics in total. In the year 2020, the World Health Organization announced the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has had a huge impact on healthcare delivery, leaving us with little to no choices for reaching our patients. Virtual clinics were in high demand, and we crossed nearly 5,000 virtual patients by October 2020. Lack of resources, infrastructure, network, regulation, and guidance were among the challenges in implementing virtual clinic.
Mr Muhamad Farid Sani
Dietitian
Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur
Muhamad Farid bin Sani is a resident dietitian in Klinik Kesihatan Putrajaya Presint 18. He has 10 years of working experiences after joining the Ministry of Health at Hospita Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh in 2013. He was a valedictorian and obtained his professional degree in Dietetics (Honours) from International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan in 2009. His passion to empower his clients towards a healthy lifestyle led him to enter the public health field by joining primary care in the health clinic of Putrajaya in 2013. Farid has regularly been invited as a speaker for public talks, forums and conferences, and his clients range from government, private and corporate companies. He is specifically trained to be a lead facilitator for diabetes management under Steno Diabetes Center He was featured in a live interview with Perak FM radio, Selamat Pagi Malaysia RTM 1 talk show, and Assalamualaikum TV AlHijrah. His articles were also published in Kosmo and Harian Metro. When Farid does not wear his white coat for consultations, he is an avid runner, having completed 3 full marathons and many half marathons.
Virtual Clinic: MOH's Experience
Virtual Clinic is a health service given to public virtually, lively & interactively that consist of clinical consultation, and the treatment plan given to clients from health officers. Selected clients will be given a written consent, own an access to communication tools as well as knowledgeable in using email & medium for virtual clinic. Klinik Kesihatan Putrajaya Presint 18 was selected among 5 clinics to run virtual clinic. This service aims to improve clients’ accessibilities towards primary care services and to reduce congestion of people in the clinic. This service first offered to medical officers but then widening to other healthcare including dietitian, pharmacist, assistant medical officers & physiotherapist. Dietitian in KKPjP18 started offered this service to client in September 2019. When Covid-19 pandemic hit Malaysia in March 2020, the call for physical distancing becomes a vital element in complying with SOP. Thus, virtual clinic is a right platform to become a complementary service as it can facilitate clients to receive services without being a fear to come to clinic. It also can help to save time & transportation cost, reducing follow-up session to clinics and client will not need to wait for long hours at the clinic. Starting with one morning slot once per month due to limited resources of communication tools and changing a medium to do Virtual clinic, now dietitian can provide virtual consultation when he thinks it’s suitable and anytime during working hours. Virtual clinic offers a new experience in giving consultation as easy to monitor progression, review blood result test, and assess certain issues that requires short duration of follow-ups. In summary, virtual clinic is a good platform to enhance dietetic services and a good alternative which patient can reach our services beyond the distances if internet connection and technical are not the issue.