Dr Nujaimin (second right) with his family members. — Bernama photo
BELAGA: There was something unique about this year’s Sungai Asap annual mass circumcision programme for children and teenagers.
Not only half the participants were non-Muslims, this year also saw 10 members of a family offering their services to help out with the programme for the local community.
Kuala Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital neurosurgeon Dr Nujaimin Udin, 43, and his family members flew to Sarawak to help with the mass circumcision programme.
It was the second time they were helping out with the programme, having done the same in 2017 in areas around Kuching.
Sharing his experience with Bernama, Dr Nujaimin said this year they were all directly involved in the programme at four different locations, starting from Song, Kapit, Belaga and Sungai Asap from Nov 24-30.
“There are 10 of us. There’s my wife (Dr Sharifah Razlina Tuan Muda) and I and our three children, my father and mother, my younger brother and his wife and their son.
“We all helped out in the charity circumcision programme for children at four locations along the Batang Rajang in the Kapit Division.
“As doctors, my wife and I carried out the circumcision, my brother and his wife handled the medical equipment, our three children were tasked with general work while my parents helped to soothe the frayed nerves of the participants,” he said when met at the Sungai Asap Multipurpose Hall.
A total of 70 children and teenagers aged between five and 20 from the Sungai Asap Bakun Relocation area here were involved in the mass circumcision programme in conjunction with the Health and Sunathon Carnival 2018, organised by Yayasan Ikhlas and the Kapit Division Health Office.
The programme also involved the cooperation of several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including the Ikatan Pengamal Perubatan dan Kesihatan Muslim Malaysia (I-Medik) and Urusetia Saudara Kita (USK).
Dr Nujaimin said the 10 of them gained a lot of meaningful experience during the programme, including moving around using an express boat along the Batang Rajang.
“Alhamdulillah, the journey was long but the atmosphere along Batang Rajan was interesting and we hope to be involved again next year,” he said.
According to him, his whole family was active and usually involved themselves in similar programmes in several rural areas in the country as well as in Cambodia, Vietnam, South Thailand and Aceh in Indonesia. — Bernama