Some plans can backfire

TS,Tuesday 20 March 2012 

The “Malaysian Cohort” is a national project involving health information, dietary habit, lifestyle, and blood and urine collection from 100,000 Malaysian citizens to identify diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and stroke among others. 

Malaysians aged 35 to 65 are invited to join by filling a questionnaire for the project secretariat. An appointment for a free medical checkup will then be scheduled and volunteers are informed that it will take about 2 hours. 

The project was initiated in 2004 and is still ongoing because of the large number needed. Perhaps in an effort to speed up the process, a canopy was erected near the Jalan Ikan Emas wet market at Cheras, which I visited last Saturday. 

Two young female workers in T-shirts were seen seated behind their desks, one handling registration, and the other with a handheld gadget that can read the glucose level from a drop of blood. 

Passers-by were under the impression that the exercise was a good initiative by the Government to reach out to the common folks, and some stopped by to have their glucose level tested. 

However, many soon went away disappointed, especially those who could not communicate well with the workers. Even I could not make out what the workers were trying to say. I had to go online to find out what “Malaysian Cohort” was all about. 

Instead of telling younger people that the project is for those above 35 or older ones that it is for those below 65, I was asked my age. Any person can easily see that I am clearly well within the range. 

Many others were confused when they were asked whether they have had a medical checkup at HUKM. 

The exercise could have been carried out in a smoother manner. Anyone interested should be allowed to register and fill up the questionnaire. It would then be up to the secretariat to schedule the free checkup or otherwise. 

All those who wish to have their glucose level tested should be entertained, whether they are participating in the project or not. This is what the public would expect upon seeing a worker holding the glucose-test gadget. 

Although the workers were not rude, they were far from courteous. Their facial expression and body language exposed their feelings. They acted as if they were doing the public a favour and did not respond to requests for glucose tests. 

Many people felt rejected, dejected and left without registering or having their glucose level tested. 

Sadly, such situations are not isolated. Government initiatives that are poorly implemented can result in alienating the people. 

The success of this project hinges on reaching out to a cross section of the Malaysian population. As such, the local demographic must be taken into account and workers engaged to deal with the public must be able to communicate with all levels of society. 

A combination of weak procedure, poor training, loose monitoring and bad attitude is bound to negate the efforts of the Government. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur