This news report is about the scarcity of heart doctors and surgeons for children in Malaysia. According to the report the health minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said that every year, the children requiring heart surgery ranges from 2000 to 3000 but Malaysian hospitals, both private and public combined, can not fulfill the requirement because of the shortage of heart surgeons in Malaysia and only around 1200 children are lucky enough to undergo heart surgeries each year. Mr. Seri says that there are 180 cardiologists and 58 cardiothoracic surgeons in total currently serving in Malaysia, out of which only 26 cardiologists and 14 cardiothoracic surgeons are serving in the hospitals governed by the ministry. He further said that rising costs of heart surgeries combined with this reason makes the treatment for heart diseases unaffordable for a large number of populations and just this is the sole cause for Malaysian government to send some children from poor families to Naraya Hrudayalaya Hospital in Bangalore, India.
There has been a joint venture between AriyaDana Equities Sdn Bhd and Narayana Hrudayalaya Pvt. Ltd to upgrade the existing medical center Nilai as as the Narayana International Medical Centre. At the press conference after the event Mr. Seri told the reporters that Narayana Hrudayalaya Pvt. Ltd has conducted majority of successful surgeries upon children of ages between one to five years from 2008 till date. According to the director of AriyaDana Equities that hospital will start with 100 beds and will be gradually upgraded. He said that a dedicated team of heart surgeons will be joining the staff from Bangalore soon and the cost of heart surgery here will be at least up to 25% cheaper as compared to other heart hospitals in Malaysia. He further announced that more than RM250mil are allocated for the budget of hospital upgrade.