Our Community Health and Wellness campaign, organised by the Faculty of Medicine (FoM), continued successfully through October, with the fourth session in the series focusing on the role of mental health in managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer.
This initiative is an ongoing collaboration between Quest International University (QIU), Klinik Kesihatan (KK) Buntong, and the Perak Women for Women Society. As a civic-minded university on a mission to empower the community, QIU takes great pride in partnering with public and private stakeholders to contribute to national healthcare.
This campaign also reflects our commitment to advancing global efforts towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDGs number 3, 4, and 17: good health and well-being, quality education, and partnerships for the goals, respectively.
The half-day session was held at the FoM, where the residents of Flat Harmoni Buntong were introduced to stress management techniques such as mindfulness and meditation, and they engaged in a group discussion on coping strategies.
This session was a timely reminder for fellow Ipohites about how mental health is as relevant as physical health in managing NCDs. People with mental health conditions like depression or anxiety often struggle with medication adherence, healthy eating, exercise, and medical appointments.
Prolonged stress also elevates blood pressure and weakens the immune system, thus worsening conditions like hypertension and heart disease. People experiencing depression or high stress are also more likely to smoke, drink excessively, eat poorly, and remain sedentary—all major risk factors for NCDs.
The session kicked off with a talk on mental wellness for overall well-being by Dr Venotha Ganasan, a family medicine specialist from KK Buntong.
Next, participants were introduced to simple breathing exercises that help reduce stress and anxiety and improve physical health by increasing lung capacity, thereby promoting mental clarity and a sense of calm.
After a brief refreshment break, our FoM experts took centre stage. First, Associate Professor Dr Chandra Mohan spoke at length about managing stress.
His talk was followed by a drawing activity led by Dr Nurul Dayana, where participants were asked to sketch whatever came to mind in the moment. They were then invited to share their creations and explain the meaning behind them.
The fifth session in this series will be held on 15 November 2025, with the theme ‘Health Literacy and Medication Management’.
As always, kudos to our faculty and staff for serving the community and upholding the ideals that define QIU. Well done!
