Lightning Strkes around the World

Interesting map from Wikipedia showing the average number of lightning strikes per square kilometre per year.  Ipoh is in the hotspot for lightning events.  I had an unfortunate experience last year.  One thunderous lightning some distance away and the following equipment destroyed: a desktop computer,  the alarm system, one LCD TV and the fridge motor.   Fortunately I had an insurance policy to pay for them all.  Remember to take photos of your burnt out equipment showing all the roasted circuits when submitting papers for your claims!!

MCMC Connected Healthcare Workshop

The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission conducted the workshop at KLCC on 24th August 2013.  Our Prime Minister opened the exhibition.  There were 8 winners of the BEE (Broadband Empowered Entrepreneur) awards worth RM 5,000.00 each.

YAB Dato Sri Mohd Najib delivering his speech

Winners of the BEE Awards

A nurse holding a stethoscope used in telemedicine. A patient console on stand.

Back from the workshop at Ipoh Railway Station.  Notice the new dancing fountain.

Two products caught my attention at the exhibition. 

1. Telehealth for all at www.u2Doc.com .  This portal allows anyone in the world to participate in a medical consultation with a doctor.  A patient can make an appointment, pay the fees and have a telemedicine consultation.  Project just started 2 months ago.  There are also gadgets for monitoring:  BP, weight, peak flow, blood glucose, ECG, pulse oximetry. 

2.  Metria is a wearable sensor which can record sleep pattern, physical activity (number of steps, METs, calories burnt).  The device is to be worn for a week.  Data is downloaded to a computer via a micro USB connection.  This device is suitable for lifestyle management, heatlh and wellness assessment, weight management and fitness.

The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

This movie is about the massacre in Nanking, China by the invading Japanese forces in 1937.  It is also a tribute to Iris Chang who wrote the book "The Rape of Nanking" published in English in 1997. The movie is based on her book.  Iris committed suicide in November 2004 because of depression which was possibly linked to the many horror stories which she had uncovered during her many interviews with the survivors and from the diaries of the deceased.   

I watched this movie to find out why grandpa, Leong Sin Nam, was so engrossed in raising funds for the mainland Chinese.  The letters addressed to him from China must have described the utter hopelessness of the Chinese people then.  The Japanese had already conquered Manchuria and Shanghai before Nanking.  Nanking was the capital city of the Nationalist Government of Chiang Kai Shek. 

You may wish to read more about Iris Chang in Wikipedia.  I admire her courage in bringing out the true story about Nanking which many still have relative amnesia, especially the Japanese. 

Choosing the Ideal Inhaled Corticosteroid

 

Inhaled corticosteroid is much better suited for asthmatics and COPD patients when compared to oral steroid.  There are now many ICS preparations in the market.  The choice can be difficult.   The table below shows some of the factors which need to be considered when choosing the ideal corticosteroid.

Ipoh Lahat Road YMCA

This picture shows the original Lahat Road YMCA building.   It also shows members helping children in the early 1960s.  The Lahat Road YMCA will soon be operating at its new premise opposite the Perak Stadium.  Programmes will be announced shortly when the building is ready for occupation.

Student Exploratory Workshops

A very interesting advertisement for anyone aspiring to become a doctor.  I wonder how the response was. 

Tong Wah Cave, Ipoh

A couple of days ago a patient told me about the contributions of Leong Sin Nam on the development of the Tong Wah Cave in Ipoh.  This is something new to me and a search on the web showed the following results:

"The Tong Wah Cave Temple was founded about 140 years ago by some monks and later financed by philanthropists of the Kinta Valley, which was once well known as the number one producer of tin in the world.  Among the generous individuals who help set up the committee of the temple include Leong Sin Nam, who is an ex-tin miner.

Located about 2 km from the Lost World of Tambun, Ipoh, this cave is visible from the Tambun road after passing the Lost of Tambun and the Banjaran Hotspring. Almost every week, the temple receives a few hundred visitors and worshipers from all over Malaysia as well as from other countries. The temple is also an attraction to many tourist now. No entrance is charged but visitors can make any contribution towards the maintenance and development of the cave."

MACE 2013 Programme for Doctors

Whiteaways Ipoh

 

Scanned photo of an original receipt from Whiteaways Ipoh dated 1969.  Chance find in one of my toy boxes.  As I can remember, Whiteaways was very much a novelty shop with lots of imported goods.  It was located in the colonial building besides Miners Arm in Jalan Maharajalela.   The building is currently unoccupied.  They were selling very expensive Toddler Towels then at $3.00!  The receipt was rather elaborate with lots of advertising behind and caring messages for the customers.  

Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co., often referred to simply as Whiteaways, was indeed a prominent department store chain in the early 20th century. Founded in Calcutta in 1882 by Scotsmen E. Whiteaway and Robert Laidlaw, the store quickly became known as the “Selfridges of the East” due to its high-end European products. It catered to Europeans and affluent locals in over 20 cities across India, the Federated Malay States (FMS), and the Straits Settlements, including Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and others.

The store’s expansion reached even further, establishing branches in Canada, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Argentina, and Kenya. In places like Ipoh, Whiteaways was the leading local emporium, offering a range of products that appealed to the European expatriates, the wealthy Towkays, and the Baba Nonya community. Their offerings included fashionable clothing, furnishings, sports accessories, and a variety of goods suitable for the tropical climate.

Whiteaways’ history is a testament to the global reach and influence of department stores during that era, serving as a bridge between Eastern and Western commerce and culture. The legacy of such stores reflects the changing dynamics of trade, fashion, and consumerism during the height of the colonial period.

Reference:

1. Biblioasia.

2. The Whiteaways Arcade

"A Grandfather Story" on Leong Sin Nam

Thank you for your continuing interest in this book.  This book is out of stock since 2011.  However you will still be able to read this book in the National Library and Perak State Library.  An account of the Life and Times of Leong Sin Nam is also available in the Wikipedia.  The second edition of this book is forthcoming and will include more details revealed recently.  I am currently writing a manual titled "Breathing Better Together".

Spirography

Used this set to draw beautiful spirographs when I was a teenager.  Still remember how many times I have to trace the patterns before getting them right.  There were 4 colour pens.  Nowadays these circular patterns can easily be created using a computer software like Draw plus.  I don't think these kind of art tools are available on sale anymore.

Modified Borg Dypnea Scale

 

Took 2 hours to produce this Scale.  Couldn't find the correct combination of words and pictures in the web to make it easier for patients to indicate their level of breathlessness during stress testing.  Will also be using it for the 6 minute walk test. 

 

 

Patient Instructions for Borg Dyspnoea Scale 

“This is a scale that asks you to rate the difficulty of your breathing. It starts at number 0 where your breathing is causing you no difficulty at all and progresses through to number 10 where your breathing difficulty is maximal. How much difficulty is your breathing causing you right now?”

Ipoh ACS Alumni Dinner 2013

The Alumni Reunion Dinner was held on Saturday 3rd August 2013 at the Grand Valley Ballroom, Kinta Riverfront Hotel.

The programme for the night:

6.30pm    Pre-Dinner Drinks @ Foyer

7.40pm    Ms Tan Kit Pheng & Mr Konasilan on stage to lead in singing The Ipoh ACS Song  

7.50pm    President Dato Lean Mean Seong makes Welcome Address

7.55pm    Commencement of Alumni Membership Drive

8.15pm    Dinner is served

8.35pm    Mrs Lee Hock Hin, Ipoh ACS Principal makes a short address

8.40pm    Ipoh ACS Florathon Collection begins

9.15pm    Dance performance by Ms Yeap Yen Ching & partner

9.55pm    Roll Call for 3 groups - overseas, outstation and local participants

10.00pm  Introduction of Rev. Dr. Yap Kim Hao

10.10pm  Ms Tan Kit Pheng presents a bottle of wine to each Old Salt from the Most Senior Graduating Year

10.15pm  Ms Jennifer Ng Geok Bee presents one bottle of wine to all the student(s) from the Most Recent Graduating Year.

10.20pm  Dr Leong Oon Keong proceeds to the tables which submitted the most number of membership application forms to present them with 2 bottles of wine each.

10.25pm  Social interaction time begins
 

11.00pm  3 Lucky Draws with the following presenting the prizes:

                3rd Prize     Mr Thilakan Ramalingam

                2nd Prize    Mrs Lee Hock Hin, Ipoh ACS Principal

                1st Prize     Dato Ir Chew Choong Seong

Here are some photos (not in time sequence; blogger rearranged them!!)

Book written by Ipohgal

Visible Body 3D Human Anatomy

This software on Human Anatomy is a great teaching tool for patients and doctors.  Seeing the airways and lungs in 3D helps me understanding the relationship of various structures.  This programme can be purchased directly from the web.  Link http://www.visiblebody.com/index.html . Software is licensed for 2 computers.

Here in the picture you can see my computer screen and a large LCD monitor which serves both as a CCTV monitor plus teaching screen.  I also use it to review chest x-ray findings with my patients.