Being presented with a 500ml bottle of mineral water by a Rohingya man for saving his son’s life and welcoming the birth of a pair of twin baby boys were among experiences that deeply touched the hearts of members of the Health Ministry’s third team at the Malaysian field hospital at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Team leader Dr Khairi Kassim said the mineral water was given by the father of the seven-year-old Rohingya boy suffering from hernia after a surgeon from Malaysia conducted a successful operation on the boy last month.
“The boy’s father told the surgeon to accept the mineral water as a symbol of thanks from him because he had nothing else to give. It is that kind of experience that boosts our spirit to provide better service for the Rohingya refugees,” he told reporters on arrival from Bangladesh at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Sunday.
Dr Khairi, who is an emergency specialist at the Shah Alam Hospital, said the Rohingya refugees were sad when told that the Malaysian field hospital would operate only until February 16 as they could not could not get medical treatment at health facilities in Bangladesh.
As a Malaysian, he said he felt proud that the Malaysian field hospital had become a model for others because it was capable of offering the best treatment and hoped to be given the opportunity to serve at the hospital again.
Meanwhile, another medical personnel, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Keningau Hospital, Dr Siti Aishah Tajudin, said the most memorable experience was welcoming the birth of a pair of twins weighing 1.8kg and 2.1kg on Feb 13 to a Bangladeshi couple.
“The medical team was informed that a caesarean birth was required, because one of the babies was in a breech position, but the father objected. So, it was done through normal birth and it took us less than four hours,” she said.
The Malaysian field hospital, which is coordinated by the Health Ministry with the support of the Malaysian Armed Forces, National Security Council and non-governmental organisations was initially given to operate from December 1, 2017 until Feb 16 this year.
However, Bernama reports, during the reception to welcome the return of the medical team, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya announced that the hospital would continue operations until the end of the year.