Materia Medica Malaysiana

Realising a dream to prevent a nightmare

The recent launch of the first Nur Sejahtera clinic is, as Datuk Seri Endon Mahmood says, the result of "hard work and determination of the Ministry of Women and Family Development (KPWK), in demonstrating its awareness towards a crucial basic need of women and family." "I am honoured to officiate another realisation of the KPWK's dream," she continued, having been there three years ago to launch the ministry's budding vision.

Begun in 2001, Nur Sejahtera's primary aim was to create and increase health awareness among women and family. In almost 15 years of experience in women's health, programme co-chairman Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar has seen much ignorance shown by even professional women as regards women's health.

Targeted principally at the poor, Dr Nor Ashikin says the three years of Nur Sejahtera road shows, lectures and seminars have reached "hundreds of thousands of women all over the nation." According to her, after each event, LPPKN would get requests for more like programmes, "and that's when we knew that we needed somewhere for them to keep coming back to for more information." The Nur Sejahtera wellness clinic and information centre, situated in the LPPKN building in Kuala Lumpur, will now serve as the first permanent base of the Nur Sejahtera programme.

Chief among the parties responsible for the materialising of the clinic, says Dr Nor Ashikin, is Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the Minister of Women and Family Development.

"She actually stayed the whole day and sat through the seminar I gave," says Dr Nor Ashikin of the minister, in reference to the inaugural seminar held after the 2001 launch of the Nur Sejahtera: Sihat dan Segak programme.

"She keeps her promises," Dr Nor Ashikin added, explaining that when the idea was first proposed to Shahrizat, the minister saw it as a "value programme." Since then, Dr Nor Ashikin has seen all plans approved and efficiently implemented.

Shahrizat in turn expresses gratitude to the Prime Minister's wife for being the inspiration in her ministry's project.

"Datin Seri's strength and bravery in facing her own predicament inspired me to push the project through," says the minister. "We talked about how important health is and how important doctors are," adding also that from experience, Endon couldn't emphasise enough how important the surrounding is for a patient's well-being.

This aspect motivated Shahrizat to press for clinic aesthetics, on top of equipment and staffing, making Klinik Nur Sejahtera truly a one-of-a-kind, one-stop family wellness and information centre.

LPPKN director-general Fatimah Saad calls Shahrizat, "a breath of fresh air," as the latter has introduced new approaches to the concept of wellness, which includes making the clinic premises as beautiful as the limited budget allows.

Now LPPKN is able to narrow healthcare inequalities between the rich and the poor from all angles.

"This clinic is the ministry's gift to Datin Seri and the nation's women," says Shahrizat. Based on the concept of prevention and early intervention, Nur Sejahtera clinic provides comprehensive health screening and laboratory testing services. It is well equipped in terms of both facilities and expertise.

Apart from permanent staff of trained clinical personnel and doctors, Nur Sejahtera canvassed for, and got, the volunteer services of specialists in various fields from various establishments.

The list of prominent doctors includes Dr Nor Ashikin herself, a gynaecologist with Pantai Medical Centre. Not content with serving on Nur Sejahtera's Perubatan dan Saintifik advisory panel, Dr Nor Ahsikin is one of about 15 volunteer specialists who will be working at least once a month on a rotational basis.

Some of the specialists confirmed so far are Dr Zain Al Rashid of Pantai Medical Centre, Professor S.P. Chan of Universiti Malaya, Professor Dr Muhammad Abdul Jamil Mohd Yassin of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Datuk Dr Haron Ahmad of Damansara Specialist Hospital, Dr Suniza Sufian of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Dr Norlaila Mustafa of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

For Institut Jantung Negara consultant cardiologist Dr Azhari Rosman, it is a small service to offer in view of Dr Nor Ashikin and Shahrizat's dedication to promoting family health.

"I have worked with Dr Nor Ashikin on many projects before on men's health," and in the name of common interest, he volunteered his expertise. "Datuk Seri Shahrizat has also worked with us on health programmes," Dr Azhari gave another good reason for joining the panel, "and for Nur Sejahtera, I felt honoured that she took the trouble to write me a personal invitation." Dr Azhari finds Shahrizat "easy to work with and she prioritises family health as an important asset." He therefore considers one day a month "not too much", even with his tight regular schedule at IJN. Pantai Hospital as a group has also offered a much appreciated discount programme for mammograms conducted on patients referred to them by Klinik Nur Sejahtera. For one year, Pantai CEO Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar has agreed to reduce mammogram charges from RM150 to RM90 for Nur Sejahtera referrals.