PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar today said a lot more needs to be done in advocating for child health, welfare, well-being, and further enhancing paediatric medical and surgical services in the country.
“Despite the diverse and sometimes polarised political viewpoints, we all agree that the welfare and wellbeing of our children must be protected, supported and promoted.
“I can't help but stress the enormous impact of the pandemic we have just escaped, not to mention the countless wars, conflicts, and genocide taking place, and its indelible trauma & impact on children,” she said.
She said this at the officiating of a joint meeting between three leading organisations in paediatric sciences - the 16th Congress of the ASEAN Society of Pediatric Surgery, the 3rd Congress of the Malaysian Association of Paediatric Surgery, and the 45th Annual Congress of the Malaysian Paediatric Association.
The organisations came together at a leading hotel in Kuala Lumpur to discuss advancements in paediatric health.
“Children’s health goes beyond medical concerns. Poor health during childhood, particularly in the formative years affects learning and discovery, which may have a far-reaching impact upon the individual in adulthood.
“Research also shows that many adult diseases have origins in childhood years,” said Izzah.
She also said that the field of paediatric surgery in Malaysia has progressed in leaps and bounds.
“More than 60 new specialist paediatric surgeons have since been trained through the local conjoint postgraduate training programme.
“Today, we can proudly say that every state in the country has teams of specialist paediatric surgeons who can offer outreach services to smaller district hospitals.
“I do not doubt that the combined team of paediatricians and paediatric surgeons will continue to strive further to achieve even higher standards of care for our children,” she added. - September 27, 2024
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