BERAKAS, Wednesday, 26 May 2021 – The 3rd ASEAN Military Medicine Conference (AMMC) hosted by the Ministry of Defence and the Medical Services, Royal Brunei Land Force, was held virtually at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas today.
Colonel Dr Hj Awg Mohd Hafizul bin Hj Awg Mohd Hassan, Chief Medical Officer, Medical Services, Royal Brunei Land Force, chaired the Conference. Also present was the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Policy and Strategy) of the Ministry of Defence, Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud.
The Conference successfully gathered an estimated global audience of 70 participants from the military medical services of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, Ministry of Health Brunei Darussalam, and Yale University, United States of America. The Conference was held virtually for two days, from 25 May until 26 May 2021, with a theme of "Pandemic Preparedness: Enhancing Readiness to Respond to and Manage Infectious Diseases Outbreaks".
The first day of the AMMC began with a keynote speech by Colonel Dr Lo Hong Yee, the Chief of Medical Corps from Singapore Armed Forces, who highlighted Singapore's strategies in addressing COVID-19 through population health-based approaches. Dr Albert Ko from the renowned Yale University, Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) and of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), then continued to facilitate a virtual workshop concerning the conference's theme.
For the subsequent session, Air Commodore Jenny Lumsden delivered another keynote speech from the Air Force Health Services, Australian Defence Force, on "Resources Management During Pandemics". Seated virtually with her as panellists were Dr Haji Muhammad Nurhasanuddin bin Abdullah Kelali, Medical Superintendent Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital, Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam; Lieutenant Colonel Moe Myint Aung, Head of Department of Public Health Laboratory, Health and Disease Control Unit, Myanmar; as well as Lieutenant Colonel Dr Vipra Mangla, Public Health Expert, from the Indian Army.
Meanwhile, on the second day, Rear Admiral Pamela Miller, Command Surgeon, US IndoPacific Command, delivered a keynote speech on "Innovation and Health Technology for Pandemics". This was followed by an engaging conversation between three esteemed panellists, namely Dr Justin Wong, Specialist in Public Health/Head of Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam; Lieutenant General Dato' Dr Zulkeffeli bin Mat Jusoh, Director General of Malaysian Armed Forces Medical Services; and Lieutenant Colonel Mo Mo Than, Head of Department of Biochemistry, Defence Medical Services Academy, Myanmar. Yale University's Dr Sunil Parikh, then facilitated a second virtual workshop focusing on vaccination programmes in relation to military context.
At the end of the Conference, the Third AMMC concluded with the Chair's closing remarks, during which Colonel Dr Hj Awg Mohd Hafizul bin Hj Awg Mohd Hassan highlighted the ongoing battle with the virus, requiring all to remain vigilant in adopting updated strategies and technologies.
PERSIDANGAN PERUBATAN TENTERA ASEAN BERLANGSUNG SECARA DALAM TALIAN
BERAKAS, Rabu, 26 Mei 2021 – Persidangan ASEAN Military Medicine kali ketiga yang dikendalikan oleh Kementerian Pertahanan dan Unit Khidmat Perubatan dan Kesihatan Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei (TDDB) telah diadakan secara dalam talian di Pusat Persidangan Antarabangsa (ICC), Jalan Berakas hari ini.
Persidangan tersebut telah dipengerusikan oleh Kolonel Dr Hj Awg Mohd Hafizul bin Hj Awg Mohd Hassan, Ketua Pegawai Perubatan, Unit Khidmat Perubatan dan Kesihatan, Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei. Turut hadir ialah Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Timbalan Setiausaha Tetap (Dasar dan Strategi), Kementerian Pertahanan.
Antara lain, persidangan ini berjaya mengumpulkan dalam anggaran sebanyak 70 orang peserta dari perkhidmatan perubatan tentera negara-negara Mesyuarat Menteri-Menteri Pertahanan ASEAN Plus (ADMM- Plus), Sekretariat ASEAN, Kementerian Kesihatan Brunei Darussalam dan Universiti Yale dari Amerika Syarikat. Persidangan tersebut telah berlangsung secara dalam talian selama dua hari dari 25 Mei hingga 26 Mei 2021. Tema yang diketengahkan di persidangan tersebut ialah “Pandemic Preparedness: Enhancing Readiness to Respond to and Manage Infectious Diseases Outbreaks”.
Hari pertama persidangan telah dimulakan dengan ucaptama dari Kolonel Dr Lo Hong Yee, Chief of Medical Corps, Angkatan Bersenjata Singapura yang mengungsikan bagaimana Singapura menangani pandemik COVID-19 melalui pendekatan yang berasaskan kesihatan penduduk. Persidangan seterusnya diteruskan dengan bengkel yang disampaikan oleh Dr Albert Ko, Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) and of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) dari Universiti Yale, Amerika Syarikat.
Air Commodore Jenny Lumsden dari Air Force Health Services, Australian Defence Force kemudian menyampaikan ucaptama mengenai topik “Resources Management During Pandemics” dan turut sama menyertai dalam perbincangan panel. Barisan panel bagi topik ini terdiri daripada Dr Haji Muhammad Nurhasanuddin bin Abdullah Kelali, Medical Superintendent Hospital Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS), Kementerian Kesihatan, Negara Brunei Darussalam; Leftenan Kolonel Moe Myint Aung, Head of Department of Public Health Laboratory, Health and Disease Control Unit, Myanmar; dan Leftenan Kolonel Dr Vipra Mangla, Pakar Kesihatan Awam dari Tentera India.
Sementara itu pada hari kedua, Rear Admiral Pamela Miller, Command Surgeon, US IndoPacific Command telah menyampaikan ucaptama mengenai “Innovation and Health Technology for Pandemics”. Ini diikuti dengan perbincangan panel bersama Dr Justin Wong, Pakar Kesihatan Awam dan Ketua Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit, Kementerian Kesihatan, Negara Brunei Darussalam; Leftenan Jeneral Dato’ Dr Zulkeffeli bin Mat Jusoh, Ketua Pengarah Perkhidmatan Kesihatan, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia; dan Leftenan Kolonel Mo Mo Than, Head of Department of Biochemistry, Defence Medical Services Academy, Myanmar. Acara tersebut diteruskan dengan bengkel kedua yang disampaikan oleh Dr Sunil Parikh dari Universiti Yale, Amerika Syarikat yang memfokuskan kepada program vaksinasi COVID-19 dalam konteks ketenteraan.
Persidangan AMMC kali ketiga ini diakhiri dengan ucapan penutup daripada Pengerusi Kolonel Dr Hj Awg Mohd Hafizul bin Hj Awg Mohd Hassan yang menekankan bahawa ancaman virus yang berterusan ini memerlukan semua pihak untuk sentiasa peka terutamanya dalam mengadaptasi strategi dan teknologi terkini untuk mengharungi pandemik ini.
