PENANG – Students from the Self-Development course at Han Chiang University College of Communication (HCUC) collaborated with Gleneagles Hospital Penang to organise a health event titled “Empowering Youth” aimed at promoting health awareness among the young students in HCUC.

The event which took place on 22 February included a health seminar on cardiovascular diseases, a CPR workshop, blood donation and a free health screening.

Associate Professor Dr. Beh Kok Hooi, taking part in the blood donation campaign

Dr. Sow Kai Fei, a doctor who works in the emergency department of Gleneagles Hospital Penang, stated during the seminar that the most common causes of cardiovascular diseases are mainly due to unhealthy eating habits, a lack of exercise, and smoking among other factors.

He pointed out that most beverages in Malaysia, most notably, Milo were made to be excessively sweet as condensed milk is usually added to the mix. Such excess of sugar is what often triggers heart attacks.

Dr. Sow also noted that the warning signs of a heart attack often include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity.

He then emphasised that when dealing with patients with heart disease, knowledge of basic life support (BLS), CPR, automated external defibrillators (AED) should be known, and if all else fails, seeking medical attention should be a person’s top priority to ensure the patient’s safety.

Empowering Youth Committee Leader, Cheah Shu Hui, expressed her sincerest gratitude towards Gleneagles Hospital Penang for their collaboration with HCUC in ensuring the smooth sailing of the seminar.

Lecturers and other HCUC staff listening attentively to CPR instructions

“I did not anticipate such a large number of attendees during the seminar. The students were very enthusiastic and actively participated in answering the questions.

“At the same time, I also saw lecturers being actively involved too, especially during the CPR training session.

“Overall, I’m grateful for the enthusiastic participation from both students and lecturers.”

Several HCUC students managed to satisfy their curiosity and also raise their awareness on several other health issues by asking the doctors who were at the event. Students reported that with this event, they had learned how to act in times of medical emergencies and learned how to lower the risks of cardiovascular and other known diseases.