Listening compassionately is a personalised way to treat patients

A visiting professor/psychologist from Malaysia who had overcome his long-drawn alcoholism in his 30s, said that widespread understanding about addiction, being a brain disease that, like any other disease, must be acted upon and treated, is the solution to the rising global public health problem.

- Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Dr. Prem Kumar Shanmugam who set up in 2013, the first of the Solace Wellbeing Group - Malaysia's first recognised mental health rerehabilitation facility - after earning his Medical degree in Singapore - emphasised too, that substance abusers must be provided with all the support, in order that they rebuild their lives. Shanmugam was among the resource speakers/ panelists at the recent landmark "Innovations in Health Summit 2025," the delegates of which were medical practitioners and students across Asia.

Shanmugam, alongside Organising Committee chairman Dr. Abdul Rahman Agha El Kinge, NMC Royal Hospital (Sharjah) medical oncologist, and fellow first session resource speaker/panelist Dr. Adil Sajwani, Mediclinic (Dubai) Family Medicine consultant, were of the opinion that amidst unabated noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and other health concerns; through all the general public’s growing reliance and trust on the Internet and other Artificial Intelligencegenerated systems, the “personalised way” to patients is by way of the “listening compassionate ear,” an enabling encouragement.