A SIGNIFICANT reduction of preventive health screenings during the Covid-19 pandemic has led doctors to anticipate a rise in untreated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the months and years to come.

Malaysian Medical Association president Professor Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said while data pointing to such a decrease has not been collated in the public and private health sectors, a dip in health checks has been evident.

“From what we can see, many people and families are avoiding crowded places in general and this includes hospitals and clinics.”

But appointments for screenings and health checks are picking up as more people are better educated about the Covid-19 disease and how it is transmitted, he said.

“The standard-operating-procedures (SOP) are being observed and we are seeing more people coming for medical check-ups.

“We believe the pandemic has been a wake-up call for many Malaysians to prioritise health,” he said. 

Nadiah Wan, chief executive officer of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, is also seeing a recovery in health screening traffic, the majority of them patients aged 30 to 70.

“The pandemic did exacerbate the problem, especially for people who were already less willing to attend routine medical check-ups or seek any sort of medical intervention prior to symptoms. 

“In addition, the challenging economic environment will also impact the willingness of patients to spend on preventive care.”

Dr Teoh Wei Leng, consultant physician and endocrinologist at Sunway Medical Centre, said, “We may find a rise in heart attacks and strokes in the coming years.

“In the post-pandemic era following reduced health screenings now, we may find an increased number of patients with untreated diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia.

“These, incidentally, are risk factors for developing heart disease and strokes.”

People don’t think it is important to attend their usual appointments because of the pandemic, she added.

“There may be patients who have other symptoms such as weight loss or cancer symptoms who have delayed their visit to the hospital. 

“In such cases, this could delay the diagnosis of cancer which may impact their cancer management.”

She added that telemedicine can bridge the gap of lower hospital outpatient attendances. 

“With more technological advances, we will find that more consultations can be done through telemedicine. 

“It can save patients’ time, especially those who are unable to get time away from work to see their doctor.

“Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension can make a telemedicine consultation with their regular doctors,” she said. 

Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, co-convenor at the People’s Health Forum Malaysia, said morbidity, such as complications and death, due to non-Covid-19 cases,  has gone up. 

“It is a major concern but expected at this time. The government hospitals have been discouraging health screenings unless they are urgent which is a fair response at a time of pandemic

“Getting the country vaccinated is not only important to prevent the Covid-19 virus but so that patients with NCDs can get proper treatment and follow-ups soon.” – March 26, 2021.