Medical university dean and cancer survivor wants to make difference in healthcare industry

Dr Sharifah Sulaiha wants to remind Malaysian women that they are as capable as anyone else, even those from more developed countries. Photos: Dr Sharifah Sulaiha Syed Aznal

When Professor Dr Sharifah Sulaiha Syed Aznal was diagnosed with colon cancer in February last year, it came as a shock.

“I couldn't believe the news. My life was turned upside down and all my plans for the future had been disrupted,” says the 53-year-old dean of the School of Medicine at the International Medical University (IMU).