Poon (second left) is listening to the explanation on the use of the device for breast cancer screening.
KOTA KINABALU: Breast cancer screening is now made easier with the new portable device, iBreastExam, which is said to be quick and painless.
According to AP Bio Resources Sdn Bhd (AP Bio) executive director Jay Padasian, the device can be carried anywhere, even to remote places.
He was speaking to reporters at the launching of iBreastExam and the Digital Breast Health Initiative yesterday.
The event was a public health collaboration project between the government and the private sector represented by AP Bio Resources Sdn Bhd (AP Bio), KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital and Medisinar Klinik and Surgeri together with the non-government organization, Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Kebangsaan Malaysia (PITKM) Sabah.
Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung launched the event, which was held at KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital here.
Jay said Sabah was chosen as the forefront for the launching due to the higher percentage of late detection of breast cancer for women in the state.
He said according to statistics, Sabah is at 52% for late detection compared to the average Malaysian statistics for late detection which is at 40%.
KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital and Medisinar Klinik and Surgeri are early adopters for iBreastExam and have worked with PITKM Sabah to reach out to its members as well as members of the B40 community through a Digital Breast Health Initiative, Jay added.
Meanwhile, KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital CEO, Miranda Hammal, recently deployed her outreach team to bring the iBreastExam to both urban and rural communities.
“With its ease of use and portability. we have experienced first-hand, how this digital health device could help in reaching out to women even in the most remote villages. KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital is pleased to be at the forefront of Health 4.0 with digital healthcare tools such as the iBreastExam to make healthcare approaches more effective and efficient,” said Miranda.
PITKM Sabah president Datuk Rosimah Zakaria expressed her gratitude to the ministry for supporting PITKM Sabah with a grant to rail out this Digital Breast Health Initiative.
“So far, the response by both our members and women from B40 communities has been encouraging. The KPJ Sabah and Medisinar nurses have made their experience with breast health screening comfortable and painless,” she said.
The launching was also witnessed by KPJ Specialist Hospital Sabah medical director, Prof Datuk Dr Ajaz Ahmad Nabijan; KPJ Executive Director, Dr Munirah Khudri; KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital CEO, Miranda Harumat; Director of Medisinar Klinik, Dr Kalaanathan Chellepah and Managing Director AP Bio Resources Sdn Bhd, Suken Chu.