an old assignment...my favourite course

finally my laptop is up and running again...after 1 whole year of resting in the cabinet...its a Toshiba...
i broke the adaptor a year ago...and lazy to get new one...another reason being its expensive...but at the end i got one...but not from Toshiba...cause its ridiculously expensive....

while going through some old files...found this...
my assignment for my favourite course in USM...
the course i enjoyed the most...although German tailed closely...but this is still the best...
LHP 453...Creative Writing...

my English isn't really good...and my story isn't really creative...but i'm tak malu lar...just want to share something i wrote...felt it wasteful...wrote it only for my teacher to read...

here's the intro...hope you enjoy it...
..............

“Come on Papa, you must take these medications accordingly,” Ei Leen reminded her father, as she always did whenever she comes home from her college in KL.

“I did,” Papa told Ei Leen, although he never did.

“No, you didn’t! I counted your tablets. They do not tally with the doses you should have taken since the last time I counted them. Papa, you always forgot your medicines.”

“Not always. Sometimes I forgot.”

“You also didn’t take them as instructed. I saw you took your medicines after dinner just now. You should have taken them half an hour before meal. That’s why you always feel dizzy and having stomach upset.”

“That has nothing to do with my ‘kencing manis’ medications.”

“Of course they do. They are supposed to lower your blood glucose level after meal. If you take them without eating, your blood glucose will be so low that you could faint. And don’t ever forget your medicine for your heart.”

“I am only tired and having my gastric pain. I had been having gastric pain for the last 40 years.”

“Papa, please don’t make me worry. Only 6 months left to my graduation. After that I will come home and take care of you. Meanwhile, Papa, please take care of yourself.”

“Ok,” he got up from his rusty metal recliner, headed to his room and closed the door.

“Papa, I’m serious. I really…ring ring…ring ring…ring,” the conversation was interrupted by her ringing mobile phone. As she was reaching for the phone, the ringing stopped. She reviewed the missed call.

“Papa, I’m going to pasar malam with some friends. Don’t wait for me. They will fetch me home,” she told Papa through the door.

“Be careful. Don’t come home too late,” he replied.

“I will. Good night Papa.”

She grabbed a pair of sneakers from the shoe cabinet, wore them and walked out, closing the door behind her. Closing the main gate, she walked down the peaceful road until she reached a junction, two doors away. She turned left and walked towards a waiting navy blue Perodua Kelisa. Yew Vern was waiting inside the car. As he sees her approaching, he reeled up the window and started the engine.

to be continued

back from an interesting workshop...

just completed a two-day workshop...officially pontenged work...yay...

it was my first workshop since started working...and it was a good one...an interesting one...lucky me
Research Workshop: Developing a Research Proposal & Tools...

it may sound boring...but for someone who did, and very much interested to work on a research project...this is a great opportunity to learn...

first of all...it was organised by Clinical Research Centre (CRC) Perak ...very experienced in conducting medical research...

and the speaker was the head of CRC Perak...a very good speaker...very experienced researcher and a very kind man...generous to share his knowledge...

the best thing about this workshop is the efficiency and the dynamic...
we started with very brief ideas...old ideas got killed off...and new ideas generated...
the brainstorming and the discussion were very productive...
first time participated in brainstorming session with professionals and experts in their respective fields...except me...

at the end...we have a handsome looking proposal...and a very workable research plan...
in just two working days...i think it's amazing...

best of all...it totally opened my eyes to the real world of medical research...every single details were look into carefully...must not compromise ethical issues and safety...
i hope from now on...whenever i read a medical journal...i will look deeper than the printed words and figures...

by the way...there are now reported human-to-human transmission of Influenza A H1N1...now i'm a bit worried...things may certainly get worse...i hope there will not be more human-to-human transmission cases in our country...

B.Braun moving to Indonesia?...oh man

this entry is a little long...cause its dealing with a serious issue...so i must quote my sources right...just glance through if you must...pay attention to the bolded...

first of all...a little introduction from their official website...

"As a worldwide company with an established history of supplying medical solutions, B. Braun in Malaysia stands second-to-none in corporate excellence.

Our broad range of surgical, pharmaceutical and healthcare management products consistently satisfy customers like hospitals, healthcare professionals and strategic business partners.

At B. Braun, we share knowledge and know-how. We share ideas and insights. We share improvements and advancements. At B. Braun, we share expertise."

in summary...its a damn big multinational company with its plant as big as USM in Penang...ok?

now a piece of news a year ago (NST Business Times and Star Biz, 5 March 2008)

"Germany’s B. Braun is set to spend in an additional RM450 million to expand its operations in Penang over the next two years. This will make its plant, under B. Braun Medical Industries Sdn Bhd, one of the largest intravenous (IV) standard solution facilities in Asia.

Some RM350 million would be invested under Phase 1 of the expansion, which would see an additional 6,000 sq m of production area, as well as the setting up of a new research and development centre for IV access products, B.Braun Industries President, H.D. Kim, said at a media conference in Penang.

Work on Phase 1 is expected to begin in mid-2008 and is targeted for completion in 2010. The new advanced facility, equipped for high–end production, would adopt the latest automation technology that would provide a quality working environment for its skilled workforce, as more engineers and technicians are expected to be recruited for the expansion.

A subsequent expansion scheduled in 2011 would involve an investment of another RM100 million and this would increase production capacity by 1.5 times, he added.

Kim said B. Braun Penang was designated as the group’s Global Manufacturing Headquarters for IV access products in 2006. In addition, the Penang facility also operates as B. Braun’s Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) for Asia.

B. Braun, which has a strong three-decade investment record in Malaysia, has to-date invested some RM900 million and employs 4,800 workers in the country."

in summary...its a damn big multinational company which is investing A LOT of money and hiring A LOT of employees in Malaysia...ok?

now a piece of news today (The Star 2 June 2009)

"The Health Ministry has always practised the open tender process when buying pharmaceutical and medical products, says Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said those registered with the Ministry of Finance could go through Pharmaniaga Bhd that had the exclusive rights to distribute pharmaceutical and medical products to the ministry. However, he said that companies which had issues with the matter could write in to the ministry.

Liow said he had always championed for pharmaceutical companies to be more competitive.

The minister was commenting on a statement by B. Braun corporate controlling, finance and information technology vice-president Dieter Gemmer that the company was considering to move part of its operations, specifically pharmaceuticals, from Penang to Indonesia because it did not wish to go through “medical middlemen” to sell its products.

Gemmer had said that all the company wanted was to be allowed to participate in open tenders instead of having to sell their products through a third party.

“If there are specific allegations, the company can raise the matter to me. The ministry will investigate the matter,” Liow told reporters yesterday."

and if you don't see the problem in the above article...let me explain...

B.Braun...a damn big multinational company is considering to move partly to our neighbour, Indonesia...

they had been in the country for 30 year...expanding and commited...but suddenly they wanna move out...what could be the reason?

all they asked for is to participate in tenders directly, not through middlemen...

and how my dear boss responded?

"oh...we practise open and fair tender...all companies can participate through Pharmaniaga...can write to us...we will investigate...bla bla bla..."

anything about "middlemen" or "third party"?...definitely not in the above article...

ok...i was attached briefly to the hospital integrated store...my boss then was in charged of purchasing medications...specifically the big-shot expensive meds...

for certain meds...we must open-tender...invite all the companies to quote their best price...

at the end of everything...we have to decide from which agent to purchase...and most of the time the lowest price wins...this i can assure you...no cronyism or favoritism by my boss...as far as i'd seen lar...of course we don't compromise safety and efficacy

but this is not what B.Braun is asking for...

they are asking to participate directly, bypassing the "medical middlemen"...

i guess i'm not supposed to comment more on this matter...but i doubt my dear boss can fulfill B.Braun's request...and being Germans...i guess they will be walking their talk...walking towards Indonesia...

thanks for chasing out a damn big multinational company...my dream potential future employer...

since they are moving out their pharmaceuticals...now i must go to Indonesia for my interview...