Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi is the former

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare spending and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental heal ...

in Brunei from 2015 until 2017 and a

Vice-Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

at the

Universiti Brunei Darussalam The Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD or University of Brunei Darussalam) is a public national university, national research university situated in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, was founded in 1985 and is the oldest institution i ...

(UBD) from 2008 to 2015.

Early life and education

Zulkarnain went for his higher education in the United Kingdom. He obtained his

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education trad ...

from the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

and later the

FRCSEd The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

(

Otolaryngology Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the surgical an ...

) from the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

. Lastly, FRCGP (

Hons Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, o ...

) from the

Royal College of General Practitioners The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the professional body for general (medical) practitioners (GPs/ Family Physicians/ Primary Care Physicians) in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including ...

Career

Zulkarnain was a head and neck surgeon and

otolaryngologist Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the surgical an ...

, who in 2001 was involved in the first

cochlear implant A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted Neuroprosthetics, neuroprosthesis that provides a person who has moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with sound perception. With the help of therapy, cochlear implants may allow for imp ...

surgery on a child in Borneo at,

Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital (RIPAS Hospital; ) stands as the country's primary healthcare institution. Located in Kampong Kiulap, the hospital offers views of both the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, and the Brunei River. Funded by t ...

. During the

2015 Bruneian cabinet reshuffle Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number) *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album), 2007 * ''15'' (Phatfish album), 2008 * ' ...

on 22 October, Zulkarnain was sworn in as the minister of health. For the 2017–18 fiscal year, Zulkarnain's ministry received a budget of B$323.88 million, including $7.77 million for development. Emphasising shared responsibility for health, he proposed consolidating health centres, improving emergency services, and securing international accreditations. To tackle rising non-communicable diseases and obesity, initiatives like ' promoted active lifestyles, and excise taxes were introduced on unhealthy foods. Collaborating with the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

, his ministry implemented school health initiatives, including hygiene campaigns and a traffic light system for healthier canteen food. He also stressed the need for safe alternative medicine, addressing risks from unregulated treatments. On 1 December 2017, Zulkarnain was dismissed as minister of health in a minor cabinet reshuffle, the first since

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

, and was succeeded by Isham Jaafar, who was sworn in at the

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

on 4 December.

Honours

Zulkarnain has earned the following honours: *

Order of Setia Negara Brunei The Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei (), also translated as The Most Blessed Order of Loyalty to the State of Brunei, is an Order (decoration), order of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. It was established on 29 November 1959 by Sultan Omar Al ...

First Class (PSNB; 15 July 2016) – ''Dato Seri Setia'' *

Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei (), also translated as The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei, is an Order (decoration), order of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali ...

Second Class (DPMB; 15 July 2011) – ''Dato Paduka'' * Excellent Service Medal (PIKB) * National Day Silver Jubilee Medal (23 February 2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanafi, Zulkarnain Living people Health ministers of Brunei Alumni of the University of Liverpool Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century surgeons

Early life and education

Career

Honours

See also

References