The treatment received by TV3 contract sports newscaster Ras Adiba Radzi — who became paralysed from the waist down after an injury to her spinal cord — in Australia is available here at a cheaper cost.

According to an expert today, the physiotherapy and rehabilitation programme which she is undergoing at the Napean Kingswood Hospital in Sydney is available in numerous Malaysian hospitals.

Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association president Dr K S Sivananthan said the minor procedure performed on her spine in Sydney could have also been done here and the cost would have been less.

"Newspaper reports stated that she had a minor operation to check on her titanium implant. If that is true, then the minor procedure could have been done by the many spine specialists at both private and government hospitals in the country," he told malaysiakini .

As medical charges vary from one private hospital to another, Sivananthan could not give an estimate on how much the procedure would have cost here but said it would definitely be less than RM300,000.

Following her injury, Ras Adiba embarked on a fund raising campaign for her treatment which was estimated to cost around RM300,000.

Funds poured in from the public and corporations when her plight was highlighted for several days in the local newspapers.

The 34-year-old newscaster, who left for Australia last week, managed to raise RM392,000 within a week.

Last Friday, The Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association and the Malaysian Orthopaedic Association questioned why she had not consulted any local specialists.

Exorbitant cost

"The amount is an exorbitant cost for such a minor procedure even if it includes charges on the rehabilitation programme or treatments," said Sivananthan today.

He also agreed that Ras Adiba could have saved the trip to Sydney if she had consulted the specialists here.

"It could be done here as we have enough competent spine specialists to handle cases, both major and minor. Our facilities are also good.

"Even if she has no confidence in the local specialists, it would be cheaper for her to get her Australian doctor to treat her in Malaysia," he said.

As for rehabilitation treatment, Sivananthan said the government has invested a lot of money to provide facilities for such treatment here.

"If a patient has financial difficulties, he or she can always go to government hospitals and universities which provides physiotherapy and rehabilitation treatment free of charge. As for private hospitals, it's not very costly.

"I'm not sure about private hospital in other cities, but in Ipoh (Perak) a patient will be charged between RM50-80 for each session," said Sivananthan who is attached to a local hospital.

Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) orthopaedic clinic also offers rehabilitation treatments and has enough medical officers and facilities to accommodate up to 300 patients a day.

When contacted, a HUKM staff said while therapies for government servants and eligible candidates like schoolchildren and pensioners are free, others will have to pay RM30 for registration and RM5 for each session.

In a media statement yesterday, Napean Kingswood Hospital Pain Medicine Consultant Dr S R Sundaraj said Ras Adiba had undergone clinical assessment and management by a group of senior medical and surgical consultants.

He said all the necessary medical investigations have been completed and she has undergone a minor procedure on her spine and the spinal regulator was in excellent position and functioning well.

The doctor added that arrangements have been made for her to undergo extensive physiotherapy and rehabilitation treatment.

However, when contacted for further comments today, Sundaraj declined to elaborate saying he is bound by patient-doctor confidentiality.

Help the needy

Meanwhile, Ras Adiba told malaysiakini that she was recuperating from the procedure.

"I am recuperating. Heard lots have been said about me. Sad I cannot be home to talk to the press. Hope all will understand. Need to rest. Don't want to be stressed. Need to walk," she said via SMS (short messaging service)

Asked what she plans to do with the donations raised as she no longer required surgery, Ras Adiba replied: "Correction — I have done my implant surgical procedure, which is a technical surgery that checks on my titanium positioning.

"About fund: rehab is costly. I will help the medically in need people when I come home. Thanks and my love to all Malaysians."

However, a specialist from the Pantai Medical Centre (PMC) in Kuala Lumpur — where she was warded earlier — said the procedure was not surgery.

"It's actually a lumbar puncture where you insert a needle into the spine to study the condition. It's called myelogram of the spine.

"It's just a minor procedure which is part of the tests conducted on her. It's definitely not surgery, minor or otherwise," said the specialist who did not want to be named.

Ras Adiba's case has received immense media coverage. Prior to her departure for Australia, she was also visited by numerous high-profile figures at the hospital.

Among them were Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's wife, Endon Mahmood.

Accompanying her to Australia was her aunt Wan Zuraidah Abu and Pantai Medical Centre spine specialist Dr Ernest Yeoh.

Yeoh returned to Malaysia yesterday.