Materia Medica Malaysiana

Nur Atiqah Najwa dies before undergoing operation

KUALA LUMPUR July 14 - Fourteen-month-old Nur Atiqah Najwa Mohamed Sharif, who was transferred to the Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) on June 21 to undergo liver transplant surgery, died early Wednesday morning from massive bleeding of the oesophagus.

SJMC executive director Datuk Dr Jacob Thomas said Nor Atiqah, who was admitted to the paediatric ward for stablisation, suddenly developed massive bleeding from oesophageal varices and was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital at 11.20 pm on Tuesday.

She was given immediate aggressive treatment including blood transfusion but died at 6.24 am, he said.

Dr Thomas said Nur Atiqah was placed in the Paediatric Ward to be stablised but was not in a fit condition for major surgery such as liver transplant.

"Nur Atiqah had low body weight for her age and was being managed to increase the weight. In addition, her condition was still poor and she developed bronco-pneumonia and treatment was in progress to improve her lung condition," he said in a statement here.

Prior to this, Nur Atiqah's parents were told that she had to wait another two weeks before undergoing the operation because the doctors wanted to see her condition improve and weight increase to 7 kg.

Her father, Mohamed Sharif Abdul Hamid, 27, when met in his mother's house in Taman Desa Mahang, Jeram, Kuala Selangor, said the ventilator on Nur Atiqah was removed at about 6.20 am and he was not allowed into the ICU after that until he was informed that she had died at about 6.30 am.

Though he said it was fated, he was disappointed over the delay in carrying out the operation and hoped that it would not happen to others.

He thanked the media and caring Malaysians for their contributions in whatever form. So far, RM305,000 had been raised for the operation,

Meanwhile, Ahmad Khairi Al-Hadi Mohamed Yusop, 27, who had agreed to donate part of his liver for the transplant, said he was sad not to be with Nur Atiqah when she died for he had grown fond of her during the time they spent together raising funds for the operation.

Nur Atiqah was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Kampung Parit Mahang, Jeram, Kuala Selangor at noon.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, who conveyed his condolences to Nur Atiqah's family, denied that her death was caused by government red tape regarding her treatment.

He said she was transferred to a private hospital from the University Malaya Medical Centre for further treatment weeks ago.

Nur Atiqah's transfer to the SJMC was delayed because the Health Ministry stuck to medical ethics requiring potential donors who are not related to the patient to get its approval.