Health Wake Up Call

2 1 2 0 n ai g am p C h t

a l e H c l i u b P H E A L T H W A K E U P C A L L

W O R D S B Y S C O T T D A V I D H A S T I E

here is no denying that hypertension is a prevalent disease,

Tespecially when placed in the context of Malaysia. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed its fangs on the worldwide population, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension have taken a back seat in the healthcare setting, where they receive little to no emphasis. In such unprecedented times, PharmNotts has tasked itself with shedding light on the ever-so-prominent issue by introducing the theme of hypertension for its Public Health Campaign 2021. In line with this year’s theme, Mr. Jonathan Ee – a retail pharmacist currently based in KL – was invited to deliver a talk on this very topic.

After a long week of classes and whatever else on their schedules, our attendees settled down in front of their devices after a (hopefully) fulfilling evening meal and joined us in welcoming Mr. Jonathan. Once our master of ceremonies briefed the floor about house rules, the session started without further ado. Our honourable speaker began his talk with a general overview of the disease, including a brief look into the regulation of blood pressure, the definition and diagnosis of hypertension as well as a series of alarming statistics. He stressed on the array of prevention methods, zeroing in on various lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and alcohol consumption. Following that, everyone was released for a short break so that they could stand up and stretch or run for a toilet break.

Accompanied by the gentle sax tunes playing in the background, five minutes passed by in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, Mr. Jonathan dove right into the clinical side of things, where it especially captured the interest of pharmacy students since he incorporated the subject of different antihypertensive drug classes and their corresponding side effects. Besides, he also listed the many ways we can support loved ones with the disease, not forgetting the symptoms to look out for in case of an episode of stroke or heart attack.

Greater-in-depth slides prepared by Mr. Jonathan beforehand were additionally shared when a question was raised regarding the cascade of side effects that some anti-hypertensive drugs carry. Subsequently, the participants were enlightened on the economic burden that hypertension poses to the country through some statistics on the portion of Malaysia’s budget allocated towards such a disease and its potential out-turns. The sharing was then concluded by again calling attention to the grave problem amongst our community, the need to spread awareness, and the ways by which we can achieve this.

When 10 p.m. rolled around, the master of ceremonies drew a close to the session following a group photo. The webinar was concluded with a shoutout to Blackmores as the sponsor, and the presentation of our PHC × Pentonies merchandise and the donation platform to support the National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NASAM) thereafter. At last, everyone involved received their warm wishes of thanks before it was called a night.