KUALA LUMPUR: Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah today advised mothers to always be vigilant of their children’s health in the wake of emerging infectious diseases.
Her Majesty said all mothers must also not take their children’s ailments lightly.
“To mothers, I would like to advise that it is our duty to ensure our children grow up healthy as they are a gift from Allah.
“Don’t wait for their fever to last for a week to bring them to hospital because nowadays, there are so many diseases.
“I’ve heard about Kawasaki (a rare syndrome that involves inflammation of the blood vessels due to viral or bacterial infection) and Chikungunya as well,” she said when opening the Tunku Azizah Hospital (HTA), formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Women’s and Children’s Hospital here.
At the event, Her Majesty was accompanied by her princess Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Jihan Azizah ‘Athiyatullah.
Also present were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and HTA director Dr Roniyuzam Abdul Malek.
Sharing her experience, Tunku Azizah said she always cared for her children’s health from birth to adulthood.
“I would make sure that they (her children) get immunised as per government’s immunisation programme from birth to their school-going years because ensuring the health of children is important for future generations,” she said.
In her speech, Tunku Azizah congratulated the government for establishing a special hospital for women and children and extended her thanks for naming HTA after her.
At the event, Tunku Azizah also visited the hospital’s stem cell transplant and reproductive medical centres.
The HTA is the first government hospital built under the private finance initiative in collaboration with UEM Group Berhad and Najcom Sdn Bhd.
The HTA which began its operations on Feb 25, 2019, serves as a National Referral Hospital and a centre of excellence providing specialised services for women and children (obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatric).
The hospital was built with a capacity of 378 beds for the paediatric ward, obstetrics and gynecology (222), intensive care unit (24), paediatric care unit (32), neonatal intensive care (50), bone marrow transplant (16) and eight beds each for Paediatric Burn Bath and Apheresis Daycare Unit.
The HTA has three operating theatres for gynecological surgery, paediatric (nine), Hybrid Neuro (one), maternity (two), gynaecology chemotherapy suite (eight), and a reproductive medical centre.
— BERNAMA
