PUTRAJAYA: As Malaysia transitions to the endemic phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Ministry wants to focus on the “ticking time bomb” – the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

       Its minister Khairy Jamaluddin said more awareness must be created on NCDs, especially within the B40 group.

       “Once the pandemic is under control, the ministry can shift its focus towards the NCD epidemic.

       “The Covid-19 pandemic is a public health emergency, but NCD is more a long-term epidemic.

       “If we are infected with Covid-19, within three to four days we see an onset of symptoms.

       “But with NCDs, its symptoms or harm can only be seen years later. An NCD is like a ‘ticking time bomb’ – we know it exists but one day, it will explode.

       “And when it explodes, it’s too late.

       “The disease’s manifestation will probably take several years compared to Covid-19,” he said at the launch of the 2020-2021 report on the Healthcare Protection Scheme for the B40 Group (PeKa B40).

       Khairy said that although 5.9 million Malaysians from the B40 group are eligible for PeKa B40, which is the government’s free health screening programme, fewer than 600,000 people had taken up the offer.

       “I urge the B40 group to take advantage of the free health screening scheme for early detection and prevention of NCDs,” he added.

       The minister said that out of the 582,746 people who have undergone health screening, 186,610 were found to be sufferers of at least one NCD.

       Khairy said ProtectHealth Corp, which runs the PeKa B40 programme, should think of ways to reach out to more people in the B40 group, including expanding its outreach programmes.

       He urged more general practitioners to become administrators of the programme and help achieve the country’s aspiration of becoming a health-literate nation.

       Also present at the launch were Deputy Health Ministers Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali and Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, ministry secretary-general Datuk Harjeet Singh, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, and ProtectHealth chief executive officer Datuk Dr Anas Alam Faizli.