FPMPAM DOCTOR'S DAY IN IPOH. 10th Oct -

INAUGURAL DOCTORS’ DAY 2014 KICKS OFF WITH BLOOD AND
ORGAN DONATION DRIVE
Kuala Lumpur, 30 September 2014 – Malaysia’s first ever Doctors’ Day will kick off on the
10th of October this year with a blood and organ donation drive at a Community Service
Project to be held at AEON Ipoh Garden, Ipoh. Malaysia’s inaugural Doctors’ Day is
organized by Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM),
the Perak Medical Practitioners’ Society (PMPS) and the Malaysian Medical Association
(Perak) with the collaboration of the Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Perak.
To celebrate this milestone event for the medical community in Malaysia, the FPMPAM has
organised a short weekend retreat in Ipoh for doctors, their families and guest. Further
details and updates will be posted on the Federation website and Facebook.
Besides the Community Service Project, a whole host of other activities have been
organized including a full-day free medical screening health camp manned by volunteer
doctors. Members of the public are also invited to a public forum focussed on “Stress &
Drugs” at the Ipoh Specialists Centre conducted by two experts, Mr. Chris Sekar, Certified
Addiction Therapist and Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Esther G. Ebenezer. Admission is free.
The main event is the Doctors’ Day Gala Dinner to be held on 10 October at the Ipoh City
and Country Club. At this dinner, the Doctors’ Day Awards will take place where the
FPMPAM will present awards to doctors who have dedicated their life in service of the
community and medical education.
Dr Kamalanathan Raju, President of the PMPS and Chairman of the Organizing Committee
for Doctors’ Day, adds, “Doctors’ Day is especially dedicated for the medical community and
the public to reflect on their present doctor-patient relationship and to share their views of
what the future of Malaysian healthcare would likely to be as the year 2020 approaches”.
According to Dr Steven Chow, President of the FPMPAM, “Doctors’ Day has been
celebrated in many other countries in Europe, the United States and India. The time has now
come to celebrate Doctors’ Day in Malaysia. The date 10 October was chosen as it
represents precision – ten out of ten. Doctors are expected to give their ten out of ten each
and every time they see a patient – it is the professional duty that they owe to their patients.
This Doctors’ Day, those interested to show their gratitude can send a simple card, a kind
note of appreciation or simply wish their doctors on the special day. These simple gestures
can go a long way to strengthen the doctor patient relationship”.
Doctors’ Day is also a day for the public to express the importance of a harmonious patientcentred
therapeutic relationship which places the patient’s interest at the forefront. “We are
of the view that public policy on healthcare must be determined by public consensus.
Commercial forces should not be allowed to shape this policy. Patients and public are invited
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to post their questions and views on the Federation’s Facebook. All these will be collated
and brought up by the Federation in the next stakeholders’ meeting on Malaysian
Healthcare” Dr Chow adds.
Commenting on the introduction of Doctors’ Day, Dr. Steven Chow shares, “Healthcare in
Malaysia has come a long way. We have a good cost-effective system that have won
praises from healthcare experts at home and abroad. The doctors, nurses, pharmacists and
all the other healthcare professionals are the backbone of this system and due effort must be
made to appreciate their contribution and sacrifices. We hope that with the introduction of
Doctors’ Day, all Malaysians will join with us and voice their views on how to make this
system even better and more patient-centred”.
For more information on Doctors Day or initiatives introduced by FPMPAM, please visit
www.fpmpam.org or https://www.facebook.com/fpmpam.