PEKAN – A GROUP of Orang Asli villagers of Kampung Ulu Gumum and Kampung Tasik Chini could not contain their joy when they were given VIP treatment during the “Love Your Heart” medical outreach programme in Dewan Mempelas, Kampung Baru Salong, here yesterday.

They were fetched from their villages to attend the programme, which is jointly organised by NSTP-Media Prima (MPB) Volunteers Brigade and the National Heart Institute’s (IJN) corporate social initiative (CSI) team.

It offered free medical check-ups, screening and consultation services on heart-related diseases for people living in rural areas.

Orang Asli Lonjong Samat, 85, said she felt honoured when a car arrived at her doorstep to fetch her.

“Our village headman had informed us that several cars would come to send us to the hall,” she said, adding that doctors said she was not suffering from any heart disease.

Civil servant Abd Jalil Hassan, 56, said he heard about the programme after it was aired on TV3 news on Saturday night.

“Although I live some 60km away, I decided to come because it is quite expensive to see a heart specialist.”

IJN consultant cardiologist Datuk Dr Mohd Nasir Muda along with three doctors, CSI volunteer nurses and paramedics, attended to 300 people who came with their family members from as early as 8am.

“A total of 253 people were examined and 25 were referred to Kuantan and Pekan Hospitals as they require further consultations and treatments.”

The organisers also held cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) demonstrations and hosted fun interactive activities, such as quizzes that offered prizes and goody-bags sponsored by Adabi Consumer Industries Sdn Bhd and Takaful Malaysia Bhd.

NSTP-MPB Volunteers Brigade delegation chief Wan Abdillah Wan Nawi said the villages’ response was encouraging and had exceeded their expectation.

Source: New Straits Times