Mercy flight for children to undergo heart surgery
KUCHING: The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) yesterday mounted a mercy flight to Subang Air Base for a toddler and an infant set to undergo heart surgery at the National Heart Institute (IJN).
The C-130H aircraft, piloted by Major Mohd Aliff Samsuddin and assisted by co-pilot Captain Muhammad Nursaidi Mohd Dzaili, departed Kuching at 1.36pm and arrived in Subang around 3.40pm.
RMAF in a statement said twoyear-old Faaed Faizal suffers from severe mitral regurgitation while two-month-old Dolly Ting Xiang, from large ventricular septal defect and severe coarctation of the aorta.
Both patients had been warded at Sarawak General Hospital.
“Accompanying the boy and the baby were their parents along with medical officer Dr Nurul Asyikin Rosli. Upon arrival in Subang, the patients were transported in an ambulance to IJN,” said the statement.
Also in the flight were flight engineer Major Mohd Helme Mostapa, navigator Captain Sazmil Nor Azman, loadmasters Warrant
Officer II Jonas Gama, Sergeant Muhammad Zairizuan Zainuddin and Sergeant Mohd Hanif Hashin, and a flight attendant, Flight Sergeant (W) Kiranjit Kaur Jagir Singh.
The statement further said that mercy flights carried out by RMAF are to enable patients to seek immediate medical treatment, subject to certain criteria and especially upon advice of medical officers.
“This shows our commitment in fulfilling our social responsibilities and we are always ready to deploy our assets when needed,” it added.