Selfless matron honoured for helping people living with HIV
KUALA LUMPUR: A matron who works tirelessly to help people living with HIV, sometimes even sending them to the hospital on a motorbike, has been honoured with the Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award 2018.
Fadzilah Abdul Hamid, 77, has been a nurse for more than 30 years at Rumah Solehah, a shelter for HIV positive women and children.
Previously, she had also served in the interior, helping those living with HIV.
“I happened to send patients to the hospital by boat, motorbike and even helicopter,” she recounted in a video that was shown at the Malaysian AIDS Foundation’s (MAF) gala dinner yesterday.
She was presented with a trophy, a certificate and cash prize of RM10,000 by the Prime Minister’s wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.
The award recognises those who have shown courage and dedication to the affected communities.
Rumah Solehah was established on Fadzilah’s own land. It has been her labour of love, sweat and tears.
She has provided support to more than 400 women and children living with HIV.
She continues to run the home today, and is its only full-time caregiver.
MAF chairman Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said Fadzilah had cared for people living with HIV from the beginning of the epidemic when these sufferers were shunned by their family and friends.
“We hope the award recipients will inspire and encourage Malaysians to join in our efforts to end AIDS by 2030. Together we can make this happen,” she said.
Other awards given out included the Patron Award to Sime Darby Foundation for their excellence in corporate social responsibility work and to the Teratak Kasih Tok Nan Project for its outstanding contribution to ending AIDS.
Also present at the event were Star Media Group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching and MAF patron Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir.
In his speech, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad called on employees to put in place sound workplace policies that do not stigmatise and discriminate workers who are infected with HIV.
“HIV discrimination is unlawful and should not be tolerated in this day and age,” he said, commending Petronas for having HIV workplace policies that were in line with international best practices.
Dr Mahathir, whose speech text was read out by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, said that the HIV infection rate had declined quite dramatically, with only 115 new infections reported last year compared to 5,176 in 2002.
However, he cautioned that the battle was far from over.
“The virus in Malaysia is now driven by sexual transmission where 90% of all new infections is transmitted through sex.
“And while some may not want to talk about sex, it is about time we do in the context of public health.
“We cannot sit on our moral high ground and look for who to blame. We need to be pragmatic.”
He said stakeholders, including civil societies, must be allowed to do their jobs whether in sex education or promoting the concept of safe sex.