Kedah MMA committee members with the Lubok Lenggong villagers during the programme.
IN AN effort narrow healthcare gaps in rural communities, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) Kedah Branch took specialist-level medical care directly into the Orang Asli village of Lubok Lenggong through its Sihat Bersama Pakar outreach programme.
The initiative saw a multidisciplinary team of doctors delivering hospital-grade services to 184 residents from 82 Kensiu families in Perkampungan Orang Asli.
The village, home to 325 people, is among the most remote and underserved in Kedah.
The outreach, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, was led by senior consultant Dr Thiyagar Nadarajaw and supported by specialists in paediatrics, family medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, ENT, dermatology and dental care.
All participating doctors were MMA members from both government and the private sectors.
For many villagers, this marked their first-ever encounter with specialist care.
The team conducted assessments within the community, offering services typically provided only in a clinical environment.
Villager Asae Kayu getting his blood pressure checked by a staff member of Baling District Health Office.
These included blood pressure and glucose checks, visual acuity tests, eye screening, paediatric evaluations and women’s health reviews.
For generations, residents of Lubok Lenggong have faced challenges such as distance, transportation limitations, financial constraints and language differences that have made it difficult to access specialist healthcare.
Kedah MMA chairman Dr Sritharan Rao said the initiative was designed to remove these obstacles by bringing care to the heart of the village.
“The journey to Lubok Lenggong was not easy, but our purpose was clear: to stand beside the Orang Asli, to heal, to protect and to honour them,” he said.
“Specialist care and food baskets were only the beginning. What we truly delivered was humanity.”
