by Dr R. Sumithra, Consultant Radiologist & Lecturer, University Malaya Medical Centre

The 6^th Ministry of Health Malaysia-Academy of Medicine Malaysia held their scientific meeting on the 1^st to 3^rd September 2005 in the Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. This meeting also incorporated the 8^th Scientific Meeting of the National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia. The theme of this meeting was “Interfacing Clinical Medicine, Medical Research and Public Health”.

The first day of the meeting included a pre-congress workshop which catered for medical health professionals as well as allied health professionals and was well attended. It was a whole day affair which ended with a dinner satellite symposium on the topic of “One airway” - An update on Allergic Airway Disease by Associate Professor Dr Jessie De Bruyne.

The Opening Ceremony of the Scientific Meeting and the Induction Ceremony for 140 doctors into the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia was held on 2 September (Friday). The Director-General of Health Malaysia, Yang Bahagia Datuk Dr Mohd Ismail Merican delivered the keynote address. The event was officiated by Yang Berhormat Mr Lee Kah Choon, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health Malaysia. He represented and delivered the Minister of Health, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Dr Chua Soi Lek’s speech. YB Mr Lee then officiated at the Opening Ceremony of the Trade Exhibition.

The Induction Ceremony this year saw some 140 doctors from various medical specialties being officially welcomed into the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (AMM). The AMM is the umbrella body for various medical specialties, such as the Internal Medicine, Surgery, Radiology and others.

After the excitement of the Opening & Induction Ceremonies, the scientific meeting continued with more interesting scientific sessions for the rest of the day. The second highlight of the day was the Congress Dinner. The 8th Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Lecture was delivered by Tan Sri Dr Lee Lam Thye. He spoke eloquently on “Prevent Injuries and Deaths - Make Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) A Corporate Culture.”

Tan Sri Lee emphasised the fact that although to date the number of industrial accidents and deaths were much lower compared to a few years ago and the quality control measures of occupational safety have improved, there was room for more improvement. This would be so that human lives (Malaysians or immigrants) would be valued. To attain the highest standards of safety, he stressed the need for an attitude change and for all to adopt occupational safety and health as our corporate culture.

The third and final day of the meeting “ended” with a satellite lunch symposium and Opening of the 2^nd National Conference on Drug Addiction. The Academy of Medicine’s 39^th Annual General Meeting was also held during lunch on the same day.