ALOR STAR, Aug 10 — The family of a comatose Malaysian university lecturer undergoing treatment at the St Vincent Hospital in Sydney, Australia is in dire need of RM285,000 to settle medical bills.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Mohd Zahir Mat Cha, 51, has been warded at the hospital’s intensive care unit.

His daughter, Nur Asniza, 22, said the money was needed to pay the lecturer’s medical expenses while undergoing treatment at the hospital, which has now reached about AUD$127,928 (RM434,955).

“So far, the funds raised have come up to RM150,000, and we still need about RM285,000, which does not include the cost of follow-up treatment,” she told reporters when met at Wisma Darul Aman here today.

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Md Zahir was admitted to the St Vincent’s Hospital following a stroke after falling in the bathroom of his hotel on July 31.

At the time, he was attending the ‘Study Visit Tour For Management Council Member’ programme organised by the Kedah Industrial Skills and Management Development Centre (KISMEC).

Nur Asniza said her family hoped to bring her father back to Malaysia as soon as possible for follow-up treatment either at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital or Sungai Buloh Hospital.

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“Now, the family, with the cooperation of the Malaysian Embassy, Wisma Putra, health ministry and the Umno Welfare Bureau is in the final process to bring my father back home, who is expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning (Friday),” she added.

Earlier, Kedah Umno Welfare Bureau chairman, Datuk Abdullah Hasnan handed over a donation of RM34,000 from the state Umno to Nur Asniza to help alleviate the family’s financial burden for the cost of treatment abroad. — Bernama