| Thanks to caring Malaysians, a 7-year-old Indonesian girl who normally chokes when she eats and drinks will undergo reconstructive surgery here today to correct her problem.
SM Puja Wathi Nyana Silan, from Medan, suffers from a cleft lip and cleft palate.
She was flown from Medan on Silverfly yesterday and will undergo the surgery on her lower lip and palate for free at Pantai Hospital Ipoh (PHI) here. The surgery will be performed by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Leow Aik Ming.
This type of surgery normally costs RM30,000.
Her plight was brought to the attention of Ipoh mayor Datuk Roshidi Hashim and PHI chief executive officer Dr Dilshaad Ali during their official visit to Medan, to promote medical tourism, last week.
Due to the deformity, Puja Wathi has to be careful when she eats and drinks. As a result, she is malnourished and underweight.
Her father Nyana Silan, 39, is a Hindu priest, while her mother Magis Wati, 39, is a housewife. They are poor and cannot afford to treat her, the youngest of their three children.
Deeply touched, Roshidi "adopted" her while PHI undertook to do the corrective surgery free of charge.
Puja Wathi, who is accompanied by her mother, will stay at the hospital for one night and then, six more days complimentary at the Tower Regency Hotel before returning to Medan.
Meanwhile, state Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon praised PHI, a leading healthcare provider, for carrying out its corporate social responsibility.
-The NST- |