Medical Ethics & Economics Archives - George Lee.my http://www.georgelee.my Tracing the past, laying the future bare Fri, 22 May 2026 06:26:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 How Will Government’s Cost-Cutting Impact Healthcare? http://www.georgelee.my/2026/05/how-will-governments-cost-cutting-impact-healthcare/ Fri, 08 May 2026 06:16:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4323 The Ministry of Health expects a 10% cut of its 2026 budget,  as part of cost-cutting measures to save government funds amid the impact of the Iran war. This cut would be equivalent to RM4.65 billion, which the Minister of Health has promised will not affect essential core services. We explore how this will impact […]

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]]> The Ministry of Health expects a 10% cut of its 2026 budget,  as part of cost-cutting measures to save government funds amid the impact of the Iran war. This cut would be equivalent to RM4.65 billion, which the Minister of Health has promised will not affect essential core services. We explore how this will impact healthcare services to the public.


Image Credit: Shutterstock

Presenter: Tee Shiao Eek

Producer: Tee Shiao Eek

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]]> Why We’re Spending RM3.3bil on Treating Chronic Kidney Disease http://www.georgelee.my/2026/04/why-were-spending-rm3-3bil-on-treating-chronic-kidney-disease/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:03:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4315 The burden of chronic kidney disease is a silent but growing public health crisis in Malaysia. Minister of Health Dato’ Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad recently highlighted how treatment costs have surged from RM572 million in 2010 to RM3.3 billion annually. So what isn’t working and what do rising costs tell us about the impact CKD […]

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]]> The burden of chronic kidney disease is a silent but growing public health crisis in Malaysia. Minister of Health Dato’ Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad recently highlighted how treatment costs have surged from RM572 million in 2010 to RM3.3 billion annually. So what isn’t working and what do rising costs tell us about the impact CKD has on our healthcare services and our population? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by panellists from the National Kidney Foundation, chairman Dato’ Dr Zaki Morad Mohamed Zaher and CEO Choo Kok Ming.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Presenter: Tee Shiao Eek

Producer: Sara Cheah, Lim Sue Ann

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]]> What Would The DRG System Mean For Healthcare Costs? http://www.georgelee.my/2026/04/what-would-the-drg-system-mean-for-healthcare-costs/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:41:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4297 What is the DRG or diagnosis-related group system? If you’ve been following the news about healthcare reform, you would’ve heard Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad mention this several times since he first brought it up in 2024. As of now, the Health Ministry says that the DRG system is planned to be rolled […]

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]]> What is the DRG or diagnosis-related group system? If you’ve been following the news about healthcare reform, you would’ve heard Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad mention this several times since he first brought it up in 2024. As of now, the Health Ministry says that the DRG system is planned to be rolled out for the private sector in 2026, before a national system in 2027. But how does the DRG system actually work? And what will this mean for the rakyat’s access to healthcare? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Dr Muhammed Anis Abd Wahab, Head for Health Financing and Quality Assurance from ProtectHealth to explain. 

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]]> The Manosphere Is Pushing Testosterone Supplements And That’s Dangerous http://www.georgelee.my/2026/03/the-manosphere-is-pushing-testosterone-supplements-and-thats-dangerous/ Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:31:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4269 Boys and young men are seeing social media influencers pushing the idea of testosterone as a marker of being “real men”. We explore why these narratives of toxic masculinity are dangerous, from the medical and psychological perspectives.

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]]> Boys and young men are seeing social media influencers pushing the idea of testosterone as a marker of being “real men”. We explore why these narratives of toxic masculinity are dangerous, from the medical and psychological perspectives.

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]]> What The Base MHIT Plan Is All About http://www.georgelee.my/2026/01/what-the-base-mhit-plan-is-all-about/ Fri, 30 Jan 2026 03:01:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4229 Last week, the government announced that they’ll be rolling out a new base medical and health insurance/takaful plan in 2027, in line with a host of health reforms that are in the works. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Dr Muralli Munisamy, medical director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia and Mark […]

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]]> Last week, the government announced that they’ll be rolling out a new base medical and health insurance/takaful plan in 2027, in line with a host of health reforms that are in the works. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Dr Muralli Munisamy, medical director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia and Mark O’Dell, CEO of the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia, to dive into what has been announced and whether it will improve access to healthcare for all Malaysians.

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]]> When Medications Fuel The Next Superbug http://www.georgelee.my/2025/11/when-medications-fuel-the-next-superbug/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 02:16:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4178 Medicines save lives, but they’re also fuelling a silent but grave threat: antimicrobial resistance. After years of warning and education, are we still struggling to keep this global health threat in check? How can we also do our parts as patients and ensure that medicines are safely disposed of? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is […]

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]]> Medicines save lives, but they’re also fuelling a silent but grave threat: antimicrobial resistance. After years of warning and education, are we still struggling to keep this global health threat in check? How can we also do our parts as patients and ensure that medicines are safely disposed of? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by consultant infectious diseases physician Dato’ Dr Suresh Kumar Chidambaram and pharmacist Ng Yi Ling to find out.

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]]> Budget 2026 And The Needs of An Ageing Population http://www.georgelee.my/2025/10/budget-2026-and-the-needs-of-an-ageing-population/ Fri, 17 Oct 2025 04:37:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4150 Catering to the needs of an ageing population means planning ahead and setting aside enough funds for those policies and programmes, but with aged care so glaringly missing from Budget 2026, are we doing enough to plan ahead? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Chai Sen Tyng, Senior Research Officer at the Malaysian […]

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]]> Catering to the needs of an ageing population means planning ahead and setting aside enough funds for those policies and programmes, but with aged care so glaringly missing from Budget 2026, are we doing enough to plan ahead? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Chai Sen Tyng, Senior Research Officer at the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing) to break down how Budget 2026 addresses the needs of an ageing population and the people who need to care for them. 


Image Credit: Shutterstock

Presenter: Tee Shiao Eek

Producer: Lim Sue Ann

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]]> What Happens When Doctors Use AI? http://www.georgelee.my/2025/07/what-happens-when-doctors-use-ai/ Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:23:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4061 Can generative AI tools like ChatGPT improve workflow in clinics and hospitals, allowing doctors and nurses to focus on the most important areas of patient care? We speak to Dr Vaikunthan Rajaratnam, Nerve Surgeon, Educator, and AI Ethicist, about how he uses these tools in his clinical and surgical practice, and what are the risks […]

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]]> Can generative AI tools like ChatGPT improve workflow in clinics and hospitals, allowing doctors and nurses to focus on the most important areas of patient care? We speak to Dr Vaikunthan Rajaratnam, Nerve Surgeon, Educator, and AI Ethicist, about how he uses these tools in his clinical and surgical practice, and what are the risks that we need to safeguard against.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Presenter: Tee Shiao Eek

Producer: Tee Shiao Eek

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]]> How Pharmacists Can Help Lower Rising Healthcare Costs http://www.georgelee.my/2025/05/how-pharmacists-can-help-lower-rising-healthcare-costs/ Sat, 17 May 2025 09:22:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=4016 Everything related to healthcare is becoming more expensive today, including medicines, hospital and clinic visits, and insurance premiums. What role do community pharmacies play in helping people get affordable and effective care for their health problems, and are there potential cost savings to the government and other payors in our health system? We speak to […]

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]]> Everything related to healthcare is becoming more expensive today, including medicines, hospital and clinic visits, and insurance premiums. What role do community pharmacies play in helping people get affordable and effective care for their health problems, and are there potential cost savings to the government and other payors in our health system? We speak to Sarah Abdullah, President of the Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild.

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]]> You Can Retract Papers But Can You Retract Misinformation? http://www.georgelee.my/2025/01/you-can-retract-papers-but-can-you-retract-misinformation/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 02:14:00 +0000 http://www.georgelee.my/?p=3917 Remember that time during the pandemic Trump and many others promoted hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment? Well, the paper that people referred to in early 2020 has recently been retracted, but can the misinformation be taken back? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by health services and systems researcher Dr Mark Cheong to delve […]

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]]> Remember that time during the pandemic Trump and many others promoted hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment? Well, the paper that people referred to in early 2020 has recently been retracted, but can the misinformation be taken back? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by health services and systems researcher Dr Mark Cheong to delve into the murky world of misinformation and whether scientific journals matter to the lay public.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Presenter: Lim Sue Ann

Producer: Lim Sue Ann

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