Continuining Professional Development for Nurses

Here are the CPD points for nurses who will be attending our Asthma Workshop on 18 October 2014.

Kairos course

I am so glad that I signed up for this course.  Initially I was hesitant because of time commitment of some 30 hours.  Learnt a lot and hope to put knowledge into practice soon.  You may wish to check out the content of the course at the Kairos official website.

Come Malaysia Day and we shall be completing the course. I wish to thank the organisers for bringing the course to CGMC.

Quitting is a question of willpower, says doctor - the Star

The Star
Wednesday September 10, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM                

IT IS possible to quit smoking but it boils down to determination and motivation. Perak Chest Society president Dr Leong Oon Keong said the first thing one had to decide was whether or not he or she wanted to quit.

“If a person has a disease, they will quit very fast. Unless that is so, a person needs motivation because nicotine addiction is very difficult to overcome,” he told The Star.

Dr Leong, a chest physician, said more often than not, people gave excuses for not quitting and felt they knew everything there was to know about smoking.  “Information about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer is readily available on the Internet.  There are also support groups at government hospitals to help those wanting to quit smoking.  And yet, people still continue to smoke cigarettes as they find it very pleasurable,” he said.

Tobacco smoke, said Dr Leong, had caused untold misery to many people.  “It is the cause of many types of cancers ranging from lung cancer, mouth cancer, pancreatic cancer to bladder cancer. Tobacco smoke also causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attacks and strokes, which are main causes of morbidity and mortality in Malaysia,” he said.

According to him, smokers usually found it difficult to stop smoking on their own.  The chances of relapsing, he said, were very high if one tried to go cold turkey.  “They would usually require assistance to help them abstain from smoking and in preventing a relapse.  There are nicotine replacement therapies including patches and oral therapy such as gum, which for a three-month programme would not cost more than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for five months.
These days, patients are also allowed several attempts to quit as well as the option of reducing the number of cigarettes they smoked in a day,” he said.

Asthma Forum 2014

This asthma forum will be held in conjunction with the Asthma Workshop. Only asthmatics will be invited to attend due to a lack of seats.

Free outstation calls with Yellow Pages

A representative from TM Info-Media introduced the Internet Yellow Pages to me yesterday.  Pretty interesting package costing RM 1125 per year.  With Executive Listing one gets:

1. 1st priority in search results
2. Up to 5 classifications and 35 keywords.
3. 1 online map
4. 1 business profile page
5. 10 pictures
6. 1 logo
7. website hyperlink
8. click to call (free call)
9. Short description (up to 200 characters)

What is interesting is now I can call outstation numbers free of charge if the companies which I wish to call are listed in the Yellow Pages.

Penang Time Tunnel

The Penang Time Tunnel is a history museum.  Entrance fee for adult RM 12.00.  It is located at 39, Jalan Green Hall a short distance from the Dewan Sri Pinang.  

At the bottom is an abbreviated history written for kids.  An audio tour is available on request.

Lots of life sized models on display.

A labyrinth of display walls with photos, paintings and artifacts.

A history of Penang over the last 400 years.

An elevated footpath to walk on to create the excitement.

A small AV room.

3 D murals for us to take photos with.

In the fluorescent room.  Ignore me who is not a good actor.

At the entrance.

All the history in Penang told in only one shoplot.  I am excited for my upcoming project.

Suffolk House ID Meeting

We had an infectious disease meeting at Suffolk House, Penang on 23rd August 2014.  Had the opportunity to drive on the new Penang Bridge for the first time.  Splendid views from the bridge because I could drive very slowly.  There were very few cars on the bridge.  

Suffolk House was built on a vast pepper estate owned by Captain Francis Light (1740-1794), the founder of the Prince of Wales Island (Penang).  He lived there with the woman he loved, Martina Rozells of mixed Portuguese and Siamese descent.  

Suffolk House was restored in 2007 and is the winner of an Award of Distinction in the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.  It is one of the finest Anglo-Indian mansion outside India.  

Food was good at the restaurant.

I could imagine Captain Francis Light enjoying the view from the balcony.

The reception hall.

Our meeting room.

A world heritage building restored in 2007.