Malaysian doctor to treat deaf boy hero of Lombok earthquake

A Malaysian ear specialist has offered to treat Taufik, the deaf and mute hero of the Lombok earthquake.

Taufik was hailed as a hero for rescuing a group of Malaysian tourists during the recent 5.8 magnitude earthquake that jolted the Indonesian island.

Touched by Taufik’s plight, ear surgeon Dr Lokman Saim has come forward to help the boy.

“My friend told me of Taufik’s disability after reading of his plight in the newspaper. After looking at a photograph of Taufik, who does not have earlobes, I knew that was my speciality.

“I also contacted Malaysia’s Global Peace Mission (GPM) to inform them that I am prepared to treat Taufik, because I learned that the NGO is looking to raise funds to help Taufik,” he told Bernama News Channel today.

Lokman said he received the preliminary health screening report conducted on Taufik by a doctor at the South East Nusa Province General Hospital yesterday.

“After reviewing the report, I find there is a huge possibility that Taufik does not have normal earlobes, no holes in his ears but, from the CT scan that was carried out, has cochlea which is the part of the inner ear involved in hearing. However, I will conduct another clinical test.

“There are two procedures that can be done, that is normal surgery to make a hole or to fix an implant known as bone conduction hearing implant, which is a device fixed on the back of the earlobe to increase the patient’s hearing,” he said.

Lokman said he would leave for Lombok on Thursday and meet Taufik to carry out final screening to ensure the best procedure for treatment.

According to him, once Taufik is able to hear, follow-up treatments, like speech therapy, would be provided to enable both his ears to function properly.

Bernama had previously reported that Taufik rescued six Malaysians at the Tiu Kelep waterfall in Senaru, Lombok when the earthquake struck on March 17.

Two Malaysians – Sin Chew Daily deputy executive editor Tai Siew Kim and another woman Lim Sai Wah – were killed in the quake.

- Bernama