For four decades, Dr Sng Kim Chai served humbly as the sole community doctor on Pulau Ketam, an island of about 10,000 people, mainly fisher folks from an older surviving generation, with the younger generation having left the island for greener pastures.
On August 2, 2026, Dr Sng was rushed to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) Klang Hospital at 2.00am, having suffered an acute heart failure.
He was attended to by the amazing emergency team at HTAR and recovered well enough to practise again for a few weeks, until his eventual demise on October 21 from another heart attack and kidney failure.
As his younger brother and a recently retired neurologist who has served in various regions of Malaysia, I can say there is absolutely no comparison to be made when you consider my brother’s 40 years as the only doctor on Pulau Ketam.
If you had sudden diarrhoea, a massive headache, a stroke, chest pain, or suffered a deep cut at 3am, who will be there to help you? If your father suddenly collapsed in the evening, who is there to help him? If you were stung by a jellyfish and developed acute asthma and allergy, who will attend to you?
For the community of Pulau Ketam, they had my brother, who served them faithfully for 40 years.
Most people would assume that doctors make a lot of money, but not my brother. He lived a simple life, but he could still support a family of five children, and he was very considerate when it came to charging the village folks. He only owned a small second-hand van, and he did not own any property when he passed away.
Such were the sacrifices made by my brother, a truly dedicated community doctor for Pulau Ketam for 40 years. Will there be another hero to take his place? Sadly, few doctors would sacrifice so much for so little in return.
I salute my brother and many others who have dedicated their lives to serving underserved, rural communities like that on Pulau Ketam.
My brother passed away at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, the same hospital where he began his medical journey as a houseman in May 1975. May his soul rest in peace.
The author is a recently retired consultant neurologist and physician.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
