‘Practise self-discipline to reduce risks of getting cancer’
KUCHING: It is cheap to get cancer but it is very expensive to get treatment.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian conveyed this strong message at the opening of the Annual Scientific Congress of Malaysian Oncological Society (ASCOMOS) 2017 at a hotel here yesterday, advocating all members of the community that they must practise self- discipline for cancer prevention.
He stressed that one must know how to prevent cancer and be informed of cost effectiveness in treatment.
“The treatment of cancer is not just on the doctor and the government.
“The patients themselves must develop self-discipline throughout the treatment.
“If you do not love yourself, why should you deserve the love of others?” he spoke before the more than 600 delegates at the event.
The state capital is hosting the three- day event for the first time.
On the congress, themed ‘Pushing the Boundaries of Cancer – Together’, Dr Sim believed that it would serve as a platform for delegates to network among themselves.
“This is a good opportunity not only to catch up with one another in the field, but also to look at what else you can do and what you ought not to do.
“Learning what not to do is as vital as learning what to do, especially in the medical field,” he said, adding that the success of the congress would depend on active participation of the delegates.
Dr Sim also called upon all delegates to engage in more research work on oncology, which represents a crucial field in medicine.
He said such research work might eventually gain recognition, adding: “You may find your name in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Oncology requires a lot of teamwork such as the doctors, physiotherapy and counselling and psychiatry. It is difficult, emotionally, if you want to do a good job.
“There is emotional strain, but you cannot get too emotional. But if you are non- emotional, they ( patients) say this doctor is very cold. So oncology is a draining field – you need to make a call between to treat and not to treat,’” pointed out Dr Sim, who is also Batu Kawah assemblyman.
He also advised oncologists against using medical entrepreneurship at the expense of the poor and the disadvantaged.
He said these underprivileged individuals should not be deprived of medical services. In this regard, he hoped that the congress would come up with cost- effective mechanism to reach out to more patients.
“I am here to help you push the boundaries, because I believe that as one of the lawmakers, I would be able to lend a helping hand.
“If you don’t make use of your MPs and ADUNs (assemblymen), you are stupid. We are the lawmakers who can allocate funding and only YBs (elected representatives) can change the laws.
“You can spend time ( posting opinions) on Facebook and YouTube, but you cannot change the laws.”
At a press conference later, Dr Sim stressed the pertinence of evidence-based medicine, noting that some people had opted for treatment that was not evidencebased.
“We also want to educate patients that their health is their responsibility. For example, smoking can cause lung cancer so they should be responsible for their health,” he added.