To observe World Lupus Day this year, Persatuan SLE Malaysia (PSLEM) held a half-day public forum on 9 May (one day before 10 May, as it was a Sunday) based on the theme “Caring for the Lupus Patient”. The theme acknowledges that although lupus is a serious auto-immune disorder, with early diagnosis and proper treatment and care, there is hope for people who have been diagnosed with the disease.
The event, held at the National Institute of Ophthalmology auditorium within the Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital, started with free blood sugar, blood pressure and body mass index checks, and free consultation provided by the staff of Columbia Asia Extended Care Hospital. Breakfast was then served.
Due to overwhelming response, some of the more than 260 participants comprising patients and their family members, nurses and other medical personnel, medical students, and members of the public, had to stand. The forum speakers – doctors who are in the front line of providing care for lupus patients in Malaysia – covered topics ranging from the various organs involved in SLE to the different medications used and their side-effects, from diet in SLE to how to take care of their health. There were two simultaneous forums – one was in Bahasa Malaysia combined with English, and one was in Mandarin.
Before the start of the public forum, the Executive Committee of PSLEM went on stage to cut the World Lupus Day cake, a cake which had the World Lupus Day logo made of sugar frosting on it. This World Lupus Day cake-cutting ceremony has been a tradition since World Lupus Day 2007.
As 9 May was also Mother’s Day, children who accompanied their parents to the public forum had a special programme to themselves, i.e., drawing Mother’s Day cards with butterflies and decorating pretty cupcakes to put into a gift box, which they tied with ribbons. The proud, smiling faces of the mothers, mainly lupus patients, when the children presented them with their Mother’s Day gift made it worth all our effort.
PSLEM would like to record our thanks to Roche (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd for sponsoring the cost of the venue and refreshments for the day and Ego Pharm Malaysia Sdn Bhd for contributing sunblock samples to SLE patients.
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PSLEM President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esha Das Gupta welcoming participants to the World Lupus Day Public Forum
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Cutting of the World Lupus Day cake by Persatuan SLE Malaysia’s office bearers
(L to R): Ooi Chooi Im (Hon. Treasurer), Helen Yong (former Asst. Hon. Treasurer), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esha Das Gupta (President), Dr. Heselynn Hussein (Immediate Past President), Nur Shaminah Mustafa Kamalu (Hon. Secretary)
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PSLEM Immediate Past President Dr Heselynn Hussein presenting her session “How SLE May Affect Your Body”
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Mandarin talk by Dr. Loo Kok Lim, Consultant Rheumatologist, Hospital Pantai Ipoh. He spoke on on how the various organs can be involved in SLE
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Children enjoying the special Mother’s Day activity to draw cards and decorate cupcakes and gift boxes