GEORGE TOWN: The Ministry of Health (MOH) today launched the Miracle Baby programme at the Penang Hospital (HPP), here, which will benefit more children suffering from congenital heart disease in the country.
Health director-general, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the programme which was held in collaboration with Universiti Tuanku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital (SSSSH) in India enabled pediatric heart surgeries to be carried out at the HPP, at a minimal cost.
He said the programme would also allow the transfer of knowledge, expertise and skills among specialists and paramedics at the MOH.
“Each year, an estimated 5,000 babies are born with congenital heart disease in Malaysia and most of them require complex surgeries,” he said in a pre-recorded speech at the launch of the programme at HPP today.
Also present were Penang Health director Datuk Ma’arof Sudin, UTAR chairman Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum and SSSSH chairman Dr Sreenivas Chodagam.
Dr Noor Hisham said the strategic collaboration also aims to provide quality heart surgery services to children with congenital heart conditions.
“The pilot programme started on Nov 28 and as of today 12 patients including three from Sabah have been sent to the HPP for treatment,” he said.
He said that previously, the ministry in collaboration with non-governmental organisations from within and outside the country had to sponsor patients to undergo surgery abroad due to the limited surgical slots in Malaysia.
“To ensure the sustainability of paediatric heart surgery services in the country, the management of MOH, SSSSH and UTAR has agreed to continue to help children who are less fortunate and require heart surgery through the Miracle Baby programme.
Noor Hisham said he hoped the programme would help realise the MOH’s desire to provide paediatric heart surgery services on a larger scale at the Seberang Jaya Hospital which is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
“We welcome cooperation with UTAR and SSSSH through this Miracle Baby programme in the long run by inviting specialists from SSSSH India to Malaysia periodically. The main objective is to share the heart surgery expertise by performing surgery on 15 to 20 children per visit,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yap Hooi Mui, 36, said her youngest child, eight-year-old Iris Sim Jia Xin, was the first patient under the Miracle Baby programme to undergo surgery for a congenital heart problem on Nov 28.
“Iris was born with a congenital hole measuring 0.7mm that requires surgery. After the surgery, my daughter has become more active and I am very grateful for the Miracle Baby programme because it helps parents and children with heart disease”, she told reporters after the launch of the programme.
Another heart patient, Eisya Marzuki, 16, who successfully underwent heart surgery on Nov 30 through the Miracle Baby programme, said she can’t wait to go back to school and enjoy a normal life again.
“I would like to thank the doctors from SSSSH, India for the treatment at HPP.
“I can’t wait to meet my friends and teachers at school, but I need to make sure I recover first,” said the Form Four student who was discharged from the ward at HPP last Monday after being warded for eight days and is currently undergoing a rehabilitation process. - Bernama
