PLAN TO ADDRESS CHILD CANCER SPECIALISTS SHORTAGE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- The country needs more child cancer
specialists and efforts are being carried out to address the shortage, said
Health Ministry secretary-general Dr. Mohd Nasir Mohd Ashraf.

He said there were only 10 child cancer specialists in the country and Kuala
Lumpur Hospital (HKL) would be offering 600 scholarships to send doctors for
specialist training.

"If we have more child cancer specialists, they can be posted to every state
and children with cancer from outside Kuala Lumpur no longer need to come to HKL
to seek treatment," he told reporters after accompanying Rosmah Mansor, wife of
the prime minister, who visited the HKL's Pediatric Institute here Thursday.

Rosmah spent about one hour visiting children with cancer and kidney
ailments at the medical and nephrology ward, the medical, cardiology and
neurology ward, and the oncology ward at the institute in conjunction with her
husband, Najib Razak's birthday.

She presented hampers containing chocolate, fruits, bear dolls and children
story books to the child patients.
-- BERNAMA