KAMPAR: Heart specialists from India are being flown into the country to provide corrective surgeries for children with congenital heart disease, says Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Hospital board chairman Tan Sri Dr Chuah Hean Teik.
Under the Miracle Baby Programme, he said the hospital is collaborating with Penang Hospital and Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital in India to bring in specialists and their support team to help the children.
“An estimated 5,000 babies are born with congenital heart disease every year. About two thirds of them will need surgical intervention,” he said.
“Unfortunately, some children are never able to get the operation they need due to a shortage of specialists in Malaysia and the high cost of treatment overseas,” he said in his speech during the official opening of the UTAR Hospital by Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah here yesterday.
He said the Miracle Baby project, which was introduced in 2022, saw 18 babies and children nationwide receive treatment, offering them a renewed chance at life.
“We plan to have another round in April,” he said.
“At the same time, our local experts will get training.”
On a separate matter, Dr Chuah said that UTAR is planning to introduce an Ayurveda degree programme.
He noted that the UTAR traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) centre had expanded its services to include Ayurveda treatment in August 2023.
“Over the past year, more than 1,500 outpatients and 200 inpatients were given Ayurvedic treatment.”
Late last year, he said the TCM centre hosted a delegation from India’s Ministry of Ayush, and the High Commission of India in Malaysia.
“The visit was a significant step for the TCM centre in exploring further collaborations, including the establishment of the India-Malaysia Centre for Ayurveda, academic exchanges, research initiatives, raw material export, educational placements and other joint efforts,” he added.
In line with these initiatives, he said UTAR had established an academic chair for Ayurveda with the support of the Ministry of Ayush.
He said Dr Binod Bihari Dora, an Ayurvedic doctor from India, had been appointed to this position under a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Ayush’s Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda and UTAR.
