SHAH ALAM: Wanting public health issues to be addressed at all times as opposed to only when a pandemic or a medical crisis occurs, the Selangor government has set up the Selangor Public Health Advisory Council (Selphac).

       Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who launched Selphac on Tuesday (June 7), said the council would overlook all matters related to public health.

       “Currently, the mentality is that when you mention health – the focus, budget and allocations are all for hospitals.

       “Hospitals are built, apparatus and pharmaceuticals are increased but health also revolves around daily lives,’’ Amirudin told reporters after the launch.

       He explained that health was also about behaviour and attitudes such as whether we exercise, spend 10 minutes daily examining our vicinity to control dengue and watch what we eat.

       The promulgation of healthy habits was also a matter related to healthcare albeit being outside the ambit and scope of hospitals, he added.

       Amirudin said the council would also focus on increasing the number of Selangor Community Health Volunteers (Suka) in the state.

       “Thailand had one million community health volunteers during Covid-19 and they were already in existence long before the pandemic,’’ said Amirudin.

       Earlier in his speech, Amirudin said Selphac would assist the state government in planning, implementing and overseeing health-related programmes and projects as well as discuss and propose solutions arising from public health issues.

       “Selphac will have 15 committee members comprising of state government representatives, main implementing agencies, Selangor Health Department, medical specialists from various fields, former members of the Selangor Task Force for Covid-19, medical academics, industrial sector health representatives, Malaysian Medical Association representative as well as a representative from the Malaysian Public Health Specialists Association,’’ said Amirudin.

       He added that the formation of Selphac was in line with the setting-up of the Malaysian National Health Agenda (ANMS) Committee at the state level.

       Besides the launch of Selphac, an appreciation ceremony was also held to thank the state frontliners who had worked hard during the Covid-19 pandemic.