Materia Medica Malaysiana

Doctor escapes death at clinic

He was in tsunami-ravaged Aceh saving lives, only to have his life hanging on the edge of a parang when he returned.
The 54-year-old doctor, who declined to be identified for fear of his safety, is still in shock from the parang-swinging robber who wanted his wallet.
The attempted robbery occurred at the doctor's clinic in Tampoi last Friday about 11.30pm, as he was closing the clinic for the night.
"My nurses were in the clinic and I was outside when I noticed two men arriving on a motorcycle across the road," he said.
He said he glanced at the men to see what they were doing, but they had their backs towards him.
He said he then sat down on a chair in front of the clinic to read the newspapers when one of the men, wearing a full-faced helmet, approached him.
He whipped out a long parang and swung it at him, he said, but the doctor managed to escape the blow.
"I have no doubt he was prepared to severely injure or kill me."
He said the man continued to threaten him with the parang and indicated he was after the wallet.
"I then decided to lure him to the door where a closed-circuit TV camera (CCTV) was installed, but I tripped and he cut me on my right thigh," he said.
He said he then started screaming which sent the robber fleeing.
"He got on the motorcycle with his accomplice and they both rode away empty- handed."
The doctor, a member of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, said the attack took place in a well-lit area.