KUALA LUMPUR: If not for the kindness of Malaysians, Asmah Mansor, 71, would still be stuck in an ICU in a Saudi Arabia hospital and would have never seen the faces of her loved ones in Malaysia.
As she was wheeled in on a special bed into the Putrajaya Hospital after a long medical flight from Jeddah last night (Nov 24), her family said they could not believe she had made it home.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, who first started the ball rolling to bring her home and welcomed her at Putrajaya, said that the 10-hour flight from Jeddah was no easy feat for Asmah.
A medical crew fully tended to Asmah during the air ambulance journey, which cost RM575,000. Half of this amount was collected from generous Malaysians and topped up by Tabung Haji and the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP).
Also on hand to receive Asmah were Tabung Haji chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain, Hajj Department Head Hisham Harun and other top officials of MAIWP.
“I thank all who came forward to bring Hajah Asmah home.
“Early this year, she completed her haj but contracted pneumonia near the end of the trip and was admitted to the Saudi-German Hospital.
“However, her condition deteriorated and she was put in ICU, and her situation was too complicated to bring her back on a normal medical flight.
“However, during my last trip to Jeddah this month, I visited her and decided to raise funds to bring her home to her loved ones as she was all alone there, despite receiving the best medical care.
“She arrived at 8.15pm on Nov 24 in Subang and I thank the generosity of Malaysians, along with the coordination of Tabung Haji, the Saudi medical team, the Air Ambulance crew and all those involved in this mission to bring her back to Malaysia.
“She is now admitted at the Hospital Putrajaya ICU and her arrival back home is not a mere medical mission but a solidarity of Malaysians,” said Mohd Na’im.
However, even after all the pilgrims returned home, she was stranded in the ICU there as the expenditure to fly her back was too costly for her family due to her medical needs.
It was reported that a crowdfund managed to collect RMRM372,222.66 and the rest was topped up by Tabung Haji and the MAIWP.
