Actor gives up hospital bed for more serious patients

Compiled by BENJAMIN LEE and C. ARUNO

DESPITE being diagnosed with heart problems, veteran actor Jalil Hamid (pic) gave up his hospital bed in Serdang Hospital last Tuesday to other more serious patients, reported Berita Harian.

Jalil, who was cast in one of Malaysia’s first zombie movie Zombi Kampung Pisang, said he decided to go against the doctors advice to get admitted after noticing many others who were in even worse condition than himself, waiting in line to get a bed.

“I actually need to return to the hospital for treatment but when I saw the worsening condition of some patients waiting in line, I asked if I could just rest at home.

“There were some patients who couldn’t even get a bed with some even lying on the hospital corridors. So, I adamantly told the hospital authorities I would rest at home,” he said.

Jalil, 66, said he experienced breathing difficulties the day before and the check up next day confirmed he had heart problems.

“At first, I was short of breath which I assumed was a recurrence of an old respiratory disorder I suffered from a long time ago and went to get treatment at the nearby hospital.

“I then got treatment and returned home despite the doctor’s advice to get admitted.

“The doctor later informed me that I had a heart-related problem and that I would have to return again for treatment at a later date.

“For now, my blood oxygen levels must be closely monitored while I’m at home until my next visit to the hospital,” he said.

>After repeated brain surgeries and losing his sight, the future of three -year-old Rafa Alauddin Abdul Rauf in Alor Setar, Kedah, seems bleak, reported Kosmo.

Rafa has had three surgeries over the last 24 months due to recurring brain cancer.

His mother Noor Amira Saad, 28, said the hospital was like Rafa’s second home.

“Rafa lost his vision after a tumour was detected in the right side of his brain, behind the right eye, in December last year.

“Rafa is still undergoing treatment at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here after his latest surgery on Feb 14.

“He will later have to undergo at least 13 sessions of chemotherapy at Penang Hospital after he has fully recovered from his surgery,” she said.

Despite the dire situation, Noor Amira is still holding out hope for Rafa to recover and return to being a normal healthy child.

“Rafa always cheered us up as a family and I’m still praying that he will fully recover sometime soon,” she said.

The family of four, including Rafa’s brother, she said, were fully dependent on her husband Abdul Rauf Nordin’s salary.

Abdul Rauf, 28, worked as a security guard and earned only RM1,200.

“Every month we have to set aside about RM300 for Rafa’s treatment expenses and sometimes I have to ask my own mother for help.

“Thankfully, Rafa has received RM500 in aid from the Welfare Department,” she added.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.