Materia Medica Malaysiana

Free health clinic for Orang Asli

Seated on the staircase of his house, Tok Batin Yat Cabang smiles.
His neighbours are making their way to the village kindergarten for a free medical check-up.
But the 92-year-old headman of Kampung Cemperoh, Janda Baik, is feeling his age today, and decides not to join them.
Besides, he knows he will get a house call from the doctor in charge after the team finishes screening the members of his Temuan tribe.
The check-up is provided by the Ti-Ratana Mobile Clinic Team, a non-profit volunteer-based programme established by the Ti-Ratana Welfare Society and the Lions Club of Serdang.
A voluntary social worker, Maria Wan Don, had informed the Ti-Ratana team that the Orang Asli settlement here needed healthcare services.
Ignoring the heat of the mid-day sun, mothers cradled their babies and held the hands of their toddlers as they waited.
Among them was Noriah Osman, 33, a mother of five.
She carried her baby boy in a sarong sling as she waited for the paediatricians to attend to her elder son.
"I’m excited. It’s been nine months since we had a medical check-up here.
"When my children fall ill, I have to walk three or four kilometres to get to the rural health clinic.
"So this is a blessing indeed," she said.
"I think my son has a problem with his hearing. I hope they can cure him."
The programme included de-worming for children, pap smears and gynaecological checks for the women, and blood pressure, glucose level, body mass index, dental, eyesight and hearing tests for everyone.
The team also gave talks on health care and first aid.
"Part of the programme is to teach mothers to feed their children a proper and balanced diet," said Dr Lai Kwong Choy, a general health practitioner in the programme.
"It is important for us to educate them on health issues as we have found that there is a dangerous lack of knowledge in that area on their part.
"We are planning to conduct check-ups here every three months so that the people will familiarise themselves with the team and come to trust us.
"Right now, they are still quite shy and so we have a problem reaching out to them."