KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — The success of Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in performing a liver transplant surgery on a four-month-old baby boy last November proves that Malaysia possesses world-class medical expertise, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the baby, who weighed only 6.2 kilogrammes (kg), suffered from liver failure and urgently required a liver transplant from his mother on Nov 25.
However, just minutes before the procedure began, the baby’s heart suddenly stopped, triggering an anxious situation at the UMMC Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
“The medical team worked tirelessly to perform resuscitation. One hour filled with tension. The life of this little child was truly hanging by a thread.
“This is where the true greatness of our medical team was tested. Not only did they manage to stabilise the baby, but with sharp and courageous clinical judgement, they made the difficult decision to proceed with the surgery,” he said in a Facebook post.
Dzulkefly said although the procedure was high-risk and complex, given that the baby’s blood vessels were extremely delicate, the liver transplant surgery was successfully carried out thanks to the expertise of surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses at UMMC.
“We have the talent to create miracles. What we need now is a support system and public awareness for people to step forward and pledge as donors,” he said.
Dzulkefly said he was determined to drive the National Organ Transplant Agenda 2026, which aims to restructure and strengthen organ transplantation services in Malaysia, including enhancing public awareness to encourage more people to register as organ donors.
He also prayed for the baby boy’s speedy recovery and that he would grow up healthy and strong. — Bernama
