M’sian Doctor Works 40 Hours Caring for Tun M After Tun Hasmah’s Passing, Says It Was Worth It

A photo of a multiracial team of medical officers standing behind Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during the funeral of his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, has recently gone viral on social media.

The three healthcare workers were seen staying close to the former prime minister throughout the funeral proceedings, rarely leaving his side.

Image Credit: Sirap Limau

One of the doctors in the viral photo is Dr Iskandar Mirza Amra, 40, a Clinical Fellow in Cardiology and Internal Medicine at the National Heart Institute (IJN). He was among seven members of an IJN team tasked with treating and caring for Tun Mahathir and his late wife.

In an interview with Harian Metro, Dr Iskandar shared that the team was led by Datuk Dr Amin Ariff Nuruddin, alongside Datuk Dr Ahmad Khairuddin Mohamed Yusof. Other members included Datuk Dr Ghazali Ahmad, Dr Hafidz Abd Hadi, Dr Hisham Md Sharom, and Dr Afif Ashaari.

According to Dr Iskandar, he was on a 24-hour shift on Sunday (27 September) when he was alerted to a Code Blue emergency involving Tun Dr Siti Hasmah.

“I was among those called in to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Tun Dr Siti Hasmah before she was pronounced dead."

Dr Iskandar added that he was later tasked with accompanying Tun Dr Mahathir throughout his wife's funeral, as several other doctors on the team were occupied with major medical procedures.

“Tun was devastated. He didn't speak much and spent most of the time in tears. I asked how he was feeling and whether he wanted me to examine him to ensure he wasn't experiencing shortness of breath or chest pain. Tun told me he did not have any of those symptoms,” said Dr Iskandar.

“All the fatigue from working nearly 40 hours felt worthwhile.”

Image Credit: Facebook (Public Health Malaysia)

Besides Dr Iskandar, the two other individuals in the viral photo were physiotherapist Kevin Choo and a senior nurse identified only as Divya.

Dr Iskandar said he never expected the team's efforts in caring for Tun Dr Mahathir to receive such widespread attention from Malaysians.

“There is no doubt that public perception of doctors has somewhat deteriorated in recent years due to various factors. However, the viral post appears to have changed some of those perceptions.”

He added that he had received numerous messages of gratitude and appreciation from members of the public. The overwhelming support, he said, made the exhaustion of working nearly 40 hours feel worthwhile.

Featured Image Credit: Sirap Limau, Harian Metro