Survey instrument for measuring level of preparedness amongst healthcare personnel in radiation emergency

Drills and exercises are globally practiced to investigate the level of preparedness towards disaster events. However, these activities are rarely conducted because they require substantial investment, specifically to budget and time. A self-reported survey may serve as an alternative approach, although it may not be as effective as drills and exercises. As part of the survey development process, this article discusses preliminary validation of a survey instrument to measure the level of preparedness towards radiation emergency amongst healthcare personnel. Prior to this validation process, extensive literature reviews pointed out that the instrument consists of three constructs of preparedness, namely readiness, willingness, and ability. A total of seven subject matter experts were invited to judge the contents for verification purposes. Randolph Kappa analysis was then conducted to analyse their judgment to allow irrelevant items to be filtered from the rest prior to any improvements. Initially, the survey instrument consisted of 69 items; however, the analysis omitted 16 of them. The following values for each preparedness construct were: Readiness (0.77), Willingness (0.70), and Ability (0.73). These findings indicate that contents of the instrument are valid. Further analysis should be fulfilled to complete validation process to ensure its practicality prior to using it as an evaluation tool

A Preliminary Study on Prepared Culture Amongst Healthcare Practitioners for Nuclear and Radiological Emergency in Malaysia

AbstractThis article highlighted prepared culture amongst healthcare practitioners in managing radiological emergency. The respondents are healthcare practitioners from selected government hospital and departments. Data are collected through interviews and observations for three months. They were analyzed using content analysis. There are two incidents involving radiation spillages. The parties differ in opinion towards preparedness culture and give varying reasons in response. Knowledge, skill and culture are fundamental factors that could promote a prepared culture. Considering the critical roles of healthcare practitioners, the study recommends for further study on the evaluation of preparedness level amongst healthcare practitioners for nuclear and radiological emergency

RWA scale of preparedness for healthcare personnel towards radiation emergency

The article discussed the development of the 'Ready, Willing and Able' (RWA) Scale for the use of Malaysia healthcare personnel involved in radiation emergency focusing on medical response team only. Usually the members of medical emergency response team are doctors, medical assistances, nurses and hospital attendances. The scale is based on RWA framework by McCabe et al., with necessary modification to fit the local circumstances. It is to improve public health emergency preparedness system. The study is exploratory in nature as it investigates factors of each RWA construct. The scale is expected to reveal the level and profile of preparedness behaviour amongst personnel. The scale is insightful in offering guidance to healthcare providers on the development of possible educational and training programmes. These programmes are essential to motivate personnel in providing medical emergency response before the real radiation emergency strikes. Results of the study demonstrate eleven sub- constructs and multiple items of the RWA Scale. The study shall put forward some recommendation to ensure the validity of measurement scale

Preliminary review on housing policy and its implementation in Malaysia

This study aims to illustrate the evolving of housing policies and programmes in Malaysia to provide adequate residences for several targeted groups. In order to provide adequate houses to citizens in the country, the government has designed several housing programmes for implementation. However, the achievements of housing programmes implementations vary from one another. PPA1M, an affordable housing programme, has exceeded its target two years earlier, while other housing programmes have yet to achieve their targets. The implementation of this programme is also discussed in this work

Theoretical and practical gaps of policy making process in five organizations

Policy making is an integral part of policy studies. Theoretically, the process of developing a policy document is neither easy nor simple. Far from merely copying the policy provisions of other countries, the process must go through specific steps and procedures commonly known as policy cycle which each serves specific functions. Although bench-making study is highly encouraged, it is also preferable for policy makers to align the policy making exercise in accordance to proven theory, model, method, and process. Not many know about all these processes and steps. Some very senior and seasoned policy makers even think that there is no need for them to learn and pursue knowledge in policy making simply because they have long years of practical experiences in developing, formulating, implementing, enforcing, and subsequently analyzing and evaluating policies. This article reports case studies involving five national policy documents and internal policies at several key governmental department and organizations. The findings from the study enables the researchers to make a comparison between the theory and the practice of policy making in Malaysia. The findings show that there is still a huge gap between theory and practice in policy making and policy studies in Malaysia. There are instances where few policy makers or top management personnel choose not to follow or ignorant about the steps of policy cycles. Although policy studies might have a very bright future in Malaysia, but the journey in educating relevant parties would be a long one beginning with a correct perception and willingness to change attitudes

Disaster risk in underground utility development: a matter of perception

The risk of development (or disaster) depends on the nature of the development itself and the potential disaster in the development area. However, the risk of disasters is a matter of perception. It depends on how an individual or group of individuals see or assess the characteristics of a phenomenon. Even it is subjective; it is vital to understand what risks people consider to be acceptable, especially the local players involved in the development works. Therefore, this paper presents how the local players perceive disaster risk in underground utility development. These local players were the authorities at the federal and state level, industry players, and academicians. Series of focus group discussions were conducted for data collection purposes, and the data was analyzed narratively. One aspect is the perception of disaster risk occurrence; either the disaster affects the development or otherwise. In turn, this evidence-based information could be one of the essential feeders to policymakers and disaster managers on what disaster risk reduction programmes have a better chance of being accepted by the local players. The success of this kind of programme is essential for sustainable underground utility functions for the future

Bioteknologi moden: aplikasi, status, isu etika dan perspektif penyelidik dan industri terhadap prinsip etika utama

Perkembangan bioteknologi moden di Malaysia menimbulkan pelbagai kontroversi. Terkini, Lembaga Biokeselamatan Kebangsaan telah meluluskan 29 jenis produk kejuruteraan genetik (GE) ke dalam pasaran Malaysia. Antara isu-isu etika dalam bioteknologi moden dan produknya ialah kesan jangka masa panjang, kesan terhadap kesihatan dan alam sekitar, kesan sosio-ekonomi dan isu ‘bertindak seolah-olah Tuhan’ Malaysia seharusnya bergerak seiring dengan negara-negara barat untuk mewujudkan garis panduan etika bioteknologi moden. Garis panduan etika memerlukan prinsip panduan. Objektif artikel ini ialah untuk membincangkan aplikasi, status, isu-isu etika bioteknologi moden dan perspektif penyelidik dan industri di Malaysia terhadap prinsip etika sekular utama iaitu autonomi, kebajikan, tidak memudaratkan dan keadilan. Penyelidikan ini dijalankan secara perbincangan kumpulan fokus (FGD) menggunakan instrumen semi berstruktur. Perbincangan yang diadakan mengambil masa sekitar 3 jam dan telah dirakam. Rakaman perbincangan telah ditranskrip secara ‘verbatim’ sebelum dianalisis. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa semua panel amat bersetuju mengenai kepentingan dan kesesuaian keempat-empat prinsip etika untuk diguna pakai sebagai prinsip bagi garis panduan etika bioteknologi moden di Malaysia. Para panel telah mencadangkan penyusunan semula empat prinsip etika kepada tiga dan telah menambahbaik terma, menghasilkan prinsip autonomi dan kepentingan awam; kebajikan dan tidak memudaratkan; dan keadilan dan bukan diskriminasi. Panel juga telah menambahbaik huraian bagi definisi setiap prinsip yang ada

Buku panduan penggunaan dan pengisian buku rekod kesihatan ibu hamil

The usage of clinic based Antenatal Record Book in Malaysia was started in 1st June 1993. It supposedly contains the complete information on antenatal care received by a pregnant woman. This was later changed to home based record in 1997. Comprehensive review of this Antenatal Record Book were made in 2012 and again in 2019 in conjunction with the ever dynamic health technologies

Industrial application as utility requirement and the future of Malaysian biotechnology industry

Patent law only protects practical works of arts and not ideas or concept. This has always been the basis of the second pa - tentability requirement. Philosophically it is to separate basic research science from applied science, avoids protecting pre- mature, unwarranted, frivolous or injurious invention. Pro - cedurally inventor must demonstrate the specific function, practical benefits and how to use the invention. Otherwise he must conduct further research to perfect the invention un - til the real utility, capabilities and parameters of the same are known finally

Malaysia as biotechnology producer: characters of local biotechnology industry

Malaysia supposedly should not have any problem in becoming a biotechnology producer nation. Malaysia is comparatively more developed than other developing countries and is naturally endowed with bountiful tropical forest, biodiversity, a rich source for genetic materials used as main raw ingredients for biotechnological inventions. In that sense, Malaysia has the extra advantage over other developed nations that are poor in natural resources. The paper investigates the characters of the biotechnology industry locally in preparing the nation towards the national aspiration