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THE MALAYSIAN RHEUMATOLOGY WEBSITES

Esha Das Gupta FRCP, International Medical University
SS Yeap FRCP, Subang Jaya Medical Centre

Address for correspondence: Associate Professor Esha Das Gupta, International Medical University, Jalan Rasah, 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus, Malaysia. Tel: 06-7677798, Fax: 06-7677709, Email: eshadas_gupta@imu.edu.my

This decade has been designated as the "Decade of the Bone and Joint." So we can expect many new developments and a better understanding in these fields worldwide. Malaysian rheumatologists are working hard to disseminate knowledge through a few organizations. These are registered bodies which can be accessed on line. A few of them are as follows.

Malaysian Society of Rheumatology http://www.msr.org.my
The Malaysian Society of Rheumatology (MSR) was registered in 1989 with the objectives of facilitating the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in the field of rheumatology and allied disciplines, and to promote research and scientific knowledge in the field of rheumatology through discussions, reports and publications. From a handful of doctors, the society has grown; there are now more than 20 fully trained rheumatologists in the country.

MSR is very active in Continuing Medical Education (CME) and regularly runs courses for general practitioners, general physicians and any interested medical or paramedical practitioners to improve their knowledge of the rheumatic diseases and their treatments. These courses also provide an opportunity for discussion about interesting and challenging cases in rheumatology. Apart from the 3 to 4 local weekend courses in Malaysia, there is an annual Malaysia-Singapore combined rheumatology meeting, hosted alternately in Malaysia and Singapore. This combined meeting invited eminent overseas rheumatologists and offers in-depth knowledge and updates.

Arthritis Foundation Malaysiahttp://www.afm.org.my
The Arthritis Foundation of Malaysia (AFM), a registered body since 1994, is devoted to helping arthritis sufferers, educating patients and the public on arthritis. Recently it developed an arthritis fund to help the needy patients with the treatment. The goals of the AFM are:

• Public and patient education. Initiatives include dissemination of patient education pamphlets and newsletter as well as regular public forums.
• Patient welfare. Financial subsidies to needy patients for medical and surgical treatments

Persatuan SLE Malaysia http://www.lupusmalaysia.org/
Persatuan SLE Malaysia (PSLEM) or the Malaysian SLE Association was formed in 1994 by concerned doctors and patients as a support group to help people suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an auto-immune disorder. The association’s main objectives are increasing awareness of SLE its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment among members of the medical profession and the public so as to contribute towards an earlier diagnosis and management of the disease in Malaysia. PSLEM also provides education on SLE and counselling of the SLE patients and their family as to enable them to better manage the disease. Patient information leaflets are available from the above 2 associations.