Updated 8 January 2009

The second part of the 'Rotary Brings Vision to Kapit' project was implemented from 5 - 8 December 2008 by performing cataract operations.
 
This is a follow-up project from the previous eyes screening project which also consisted of the provision of free spectacles for those with short or longsighted visions. That previous project was conducted on 17 & 18 November 2007.
 
During the eyes screening project last year, we identified 38 people with cataracts. Initial plan was to have the cataract operations within a few months after the eyes screening exercise but because of funding problems, we had to postpone it to December 2008.
 
Therefore within a period of 12 months, we expected many things have developed since.
 
Out of the 38 identified patients with cataract, some could not be contacted to turn up for the operations while some who did turn up, they either changed their minds (because they have negative thoughts about having to undergo operations) or their health condition was not appropriate for the operations to be performed on them.
 
Therefore with the above factors, the team performed operations on 10 patients with success. The patients were also very cooperative during the whole process.
 
There were 14 members of the project team from Kuching of which 7 of them were medical officers from the Sarawak General Hospital (inclusive an eye specialist) and another eye specialist from University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
 
Dr Mallika Premsenthil was appointed the leader for the medical team. The other eye specialist was Dr Vanitha Hema Ratnalingam from Penang who was stationed at the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching.
 
In addition, there were also 15 medical team members from the Kapit General Hospital. So we had a total of 36 members in the project.

 
The group left Kuching for Sibu via AirAsia on 5 December 2008 at 10.30am. Upon reaching Sibu, we headed straight to the Sibu Express Boat Wharf by taxi where Dr Vanitha joined us together with two representatives from CIMB Bank Bhd namely En Ali Adai (Regional Director for East Malaysia) and En Mohd Daud Abdul Hamid (Area Retail Manager).
 
The project was largely financed by CIMB Bank Bhd where they donated RM46,000 to the Rotary Club of Kuching Central while the accommodation at Meligai Hotel Kapit was financed by Member of Parliament Malaysia for Kapit, YB Alexander Nanta Linggi.
 
The express boat left Sibu at 12.30pm and the group arrived in Kapit at 3pm on the same day. We were met at the wharf by Mr Wong How Chiing, Chairman of Kapit Life Care Society. He and his team assisted the club greatly in creating awareness of the previous eyes screening project that resulted in 650 people turning up for the eyes screening.
 
After checked-in at Hotel Meligai Kapit, the group headed to Kapit District Hospital to attend the project launch at 4.30pm on the same day. We were welcomed by the Kapit District Hospital Director, Dr Seri Diana Binti Mahmud Affandi, Surgeon Dr Hazem Foda, Dr Alifah Binti Mohd Azizi, matron, sisters, nurses and staff of the hospital.
 
Project Organising Chairman, Past President Haji Andre Suharto was the first to address the gatherings where he shared some background on the project.
 
Dr Jenny Kiu, the Kapit Divisional Health Department officer also gave a welcoming address followed by Surgeon Dr Hazem Foda representing the hospital director.
 
The project was then launched by both representatives from CIMB Bank Bhd namely En Ali Adai (East Malaysia Regional Director) and En Mohd Daud Abdul Hamid (Area Retail Manager) followed by a group photo taken infront of the Kapit District Hospital.
 
Prior to the arrival of the team from Kuching, patients have already been called to the hospital to undergo pre-operations examinations. Those who are fit were admitted as inpatients at the hospital ward.
 
On the 6th December 2008 (Saturday), the first operation commenced at 8am with the oldest patient by the name of Mr Ayi who is 81 years of age.
 
A total of 10 patients were operated on the same day which ended around 7pm.
 
The following morning, Dr Mallika & Dr Vanitha visited the patients again for post operations examinations. By 11.30am, the group rented two vans for a tour of the nearby longhouse and for a swim at a nearby waterfall. It was a day full of fun after all the hard works.
 
The medical team members were very professional and dedicated in their job despite the fact that they were doing this as volunteers.
 
Kudos to the following medical team members.
 
From Kuching:
1. Dr Mallika Premsenthil (Eyes specialist from UNIMAS)
2. Dr Vanitha Hema Ratnalingam (eye specialist from Sarawak General Hospital - SGH)
3. Staff Nurse Puan Lusia Kapa (SGH)
4. Staff Nurse Puan Janai Menong (SGH)
5. Staff Nurse Ho Siat Lian (UNIMAS) 
6. Fazrul Azwan Jaafar Sidek (Optometrist Officer, SGH)
7. Elias Nor (PPP, SGH)
 
From Kapit District Hospital:
1. Dr Seri Diana binti Mahmud Affandi (Director)
2. Dr Hazem Foda (Surgeon)
3. Dr Alifah Bt Mohd Azizi
4. Matron Kong Hun Teh
5. Nursing Sister Liew Sau I 
6. SN Dorcas Agom
7. MA Arah Gareh
8. JM Doris Jaret
9. JM Andrin Gat
10. PPK Muhd. Syukri Bin Abdullah
11. SN Dubau Ak. Laut
12. SN Hii Sian Ting
13. PPK Ai Ak. Kuling
14. PPK Wee Poh Hin
15. AO Anipah Rapawi
 
A very big thank you to all the medical team members mentioned above and all other supporting staff at the Kapit District Hospital who contributed towards the success of this project.
 
Many thanks to Mr James Ling Kuh Sheng of Borneo Post in Kapit who spent time with the project team members and providing coverage in the local media. 
 
On behalf of the people of Kapit as well as President, Board of Directors and members of the Rotary Club of Kuching Central, we wish to record our heartfelt gratitude to CIMB Bank Bhd for being the major sponsor of this project. Thank you to Sharifah Nur Izma of CIMB Community Link who visited the website of the Rotary Club of Kuching Central and who made the first approach to PP Hj Andre Suharto concerning the bank's interest in community works.
 
Many thanks to YB Alexander Nanta Linggi for sponsoring the 15 rooms at the Hotel Meligai Kapit for 3 nights.
 
Through this project, we have learnt many new lessons, made new friends, gained new experiences and have a deep sense of utmost fullfillment.
 
For more information and photos about this project, please feel free to click on the following link and share this link with your friends:

http://rotarybringsvisiontokapit.shutterfly.com

Updated 1 December 2008

Saturday, 22 November 2008, KUCHING:-

A ceremony to mark the symbolic launch of the Avoidable Blindness project in Kapit and presentation of the Vocational Service Awards to four eye specialists are held at the Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites this afternoon.

1. Kapit Avoidable Blindness Project:

There were 38 people who were identified with cataract when the club carried out its eyes screening project on 17-18 November 2007 in Kapit. As a continuation, the club will now embark to provide free cataract operations to these people.

The symbolic launch of the project was conducted by the handover of the A SCAN machine and cataract lenses by Dr Leonard Ng (President of the Rotary Club of Kuching Central) to Dr Mallika Premsenthil (Head of the medical team) and witnessed by Rotary International District 3310 Governor, Edward Sung Burongoh and Assistant Governor Sylvester Fong.

The major part of the project cost is financed by CIMB Bank Bhd and YB Alexander Nanta Linggi (Member of Parliament for Kapit). The project team, headed by Past President Hj Andre Suharto, comprises of 16 people. Eight of them represent the medical team while the remaining comprises of members of the club. The medical team, which includes two eye specialists, is headed by Dr Mallika Premsenthil of India who is now on contract at the UNIMAS Faculty of Medicine. Dr Mallika was also one of the 3 eye specialists who participated in the previous project last year.

The project team:

	Name	Designation/Roles
1	President Dr Leonard Ng	Advisor
2	Hj Andre Suharto	Project Chairman
3	Sim Cho Phong	Treasurer
4	Kho Ping	Director, Service Projects
5	Jurgen Ertl	Service Projects Committee
6	Chai Ko Jee	Procurement & Onsite supervision
7	Thomas Ngu	Onsite coordination
8	Leslie Phuan	Onsite coordination
9	Chin Chia Chau	Logistics
10	Dr Mallika Premsenthil	Eye Specialist, UNIMAS
11	Dr Vanitha Ratnalingam	Eye Specialist
12	Fazrul Azwan Jaafar	Peg. Optometrist, HUS (SGH)
13	Ayub Subieb	PPPK, Eye Clinic, Sibu Hospital
14	Elias Nor	PPP, Eye Clinic, HUS (SGH)
15	Puan Janai Menong	SN Eye Clinic, HUS (SGH)
16	Puan Lusia Kupa	SN, Eye Ward, HUS (SGH)
17	Ho Siat Lian	SN, UNIMAS

2. Vocational Service Award:

Rotary promotes the highest ethical standards in all vocations by recognizing individuals who practices such standards with dedication beyond the normal calls of duty. Such important recognition can provide effective encouragements of vocational excellence and the practice of high ethical standards.

For the year 2008 the club bestows the prestigious Rotary Vocational Service Awards to four recipients in recognition of their dedication and voluntary professional contribution towards the success of the club’s community project “Rotary Brings Vision to Kapit”, an eye screening project which was carried on 17-18 November 2007 in Kapit and which forms the precursor to the forthcoming cataract operations in Kapit from 5-8 December 2008..

The recipients for the year’s awards comprises of 4 eye specialists:

1. Dr Intan Gudom, Consultant Specialist Ophthalmology, Eye Clinic, Sarawak General Hospital
2. Dr. Lim Ching Wei, Ophthalmologist, Sarawak General Hospital
3. Dr. Humayun Akhter Faisal, Consultant Specialist Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology Department, Sibu General Hospital
4. Dr. Mallika Premsenthil, Consultant Specialist Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaysia, Sarawak (UNIMAS)

Group Photo from left: Assistant Governor Sylvester Fong, Ms Mok Nam Siang (Branch Manager of CIMB – main Sponsor for impending Kapit Cataract Operation Project), Dr. Mallika, Rotary International District 3310 Governor Edward Sung Burongoh, District 3310 1st Lady Marianna, 1st Lady Geraldine, President Dr Leonard Ng, Dr Faizal from Sibu GH, Service Director Kho Ping and Project Chair Hj Andre Suharto

The awards were presented by Dr Leonard Ng (President of the Rotary Club of Kuching Central) and witnessed by Rotary International District 3310 Governor, Edward Sung Burongoh, Assistant Governor Sylvester Fong, Service Projects Director Past President Kho Ping and Past President Dr Samuel Kiyui of Service Project Committee.

2 Vocational Service Awardees (holding plaque)
Left: Assistant Governor Sylvester Fong, Awardee Dr. Mallika from Sarawak GH, RI District Governor Edward Sung Burongoh, Pr, President Dr Leonard Ng, Awardee Dr Faizal from Sibu GH, Vocational Service Chair – Samuel Kiyui

Every year, the Rotary Club of Kuching Central bestows Vocational Service awards to outstanding individuals in various vocations.

Rotary Club is the world’s oldest service club that focus on 2 main activities namely Community Service within the communities they are in and Fellowship among the Rotarians. The Rotary International Theme for 2008-2009 is “Make Dreams Real” and each of the local Rotary Club will be aligning activities that centered on this theme.

District Governor Edward Sung Burongoh for Rotary Year 2008-2009 (District 3310 covering Singapore, Southern Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak, Sabah & Brunei) arrived in Kuching last evening (21 Nov 2008). He is on a 1-week visit to all the 4 Rotary Clubs in Kuching.

The 1st Club he will be visiting is Rotary Club of Kuching Central (on his agenda) and that will be 22nd November 2008 (Saturday) which coincide with the weekly meeting of Rotary Club of Kuching Central at Merdeka Palace Hotel. The luncheon meeting will start at 12 noon.

 

The New Club Website is ready soon

Updated 1 September 2008

A new website for the club is currently being setup to replace the static HTML to Dynamic Content Management System soon. The link for the beta version of the club can be reached at :

http://www.kuchingcentralrotary.org/main

Screenshot for the new club website.

Updated 1 September 2008

Photo of the new board of directors for the Rotary Year 2008-2009 with President
Dr Leonard Ng seated third from right.

Updated 17 July 2008

The new president for Rotary Year 2008-2009 with President
Dr Leonard Ng.

Dr Leonard Ng with his family.

Events in September -
November 2007

 
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