Dr Hii (seated, third left) plays host to Dr Jakiyah on her right, together with other specialists and guests at the welcome party.
KAPIT: An amusing anecdote by Kapit Hospital director Dr Hii King Ching had everyone smiling during a dinner hosted by Lions Club Kapit at a hotel here Thursday.
The event was held to welcome a team of eye specialists coming here for the club’s community project ‘Sharing The Vision’.
Dr Hii began her speech with the usual pleasantries but come the part about the project, she had a glint in her eyes as she shared her experience of overhearing a patient who underwent a cataract surgery under the programme last year.
“It was an elderly woman and she was about to open her eyes for the first time after the surgery. When she saw Dr (Thomas) Law, the first thing she said was: ‘Thank God, I can see now. Doctor, you’re handsome because you have given me back my sight – I can see you now!” she told the guests, which included the visiting specialists – Dr Law himself from Sibu Specialist Clinic,Dr Jakiyah Daud from Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching, Dr Yong Geng Yi from Sibu Hospital,and Dr Lo Shean Kang from Rajang Specialist Clinic.
Dr Hii later expressed her thanks to Lions Club Kapit for its initiative of running this noble project that had benefitted 40 eye patients who underwent surgery last year.
“This year, we have 74 patients who have been screened and found to be eligible for the programme. Out of the total, 44 are undergoing cataract surgery while the remaining 30 for the pterygium (benign growth on the conjunctiva, or the white of the eyes) surgery over the three days (Friday to Sunday) at Kapit Hospital,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sharing The Vision organising chairman Ting King Yiing – a pharmacist and also committee member of Lions Club Kapit – said the project could not have kicked off without the support and contribution of certain parties.
“It’s very expensive to run this project – we need huge amount of money, about RM50,000, to provide the lenses, and also transportation and lodging to bring in the eye specialists and their teams. Thankfully, we have received support from our ‘wakil rakyat’ (elected representatives), a local businessman and a number of organisations,” he said.
The elected representatives whom Ting mentioned referred to were Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi who is Kapit MP; and Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing who is Baleh assemblyman.
The businessman was Dato’ Kristoffer Nyuak Bajok, while the organisations were SGH, Sibu Hospital, Rajang Specialist Clinic, SibuSpecialist Clinic, KPJ Healthcare Sdn Bhd (Sibu) and Bank Rakyat.