Datin Dr. Siti Sabzah Mohd Hashim

According to Datin Dr. Siti Sabzah, cases involving foreign bodies-usually in children-are a common occurrence in hospitals across the country, whether they be in the large tertiary centres or smaller district hospitals. With about 30% of Malaysian population consisting of children below the age of 15, this can be a significant problem.

Health Ministry Otolaryngology Service head Datin Dr Siti Sabzah Mohd Hashim said that cases involving foreign bodies-usually in children-are a common occurrence in hospitals across the country, whether they be in the large tertiary centres or smaller district hospitals. (Otolaryngology and otorhinolaryngology are used interchangeably to mean the study of diseases of the ear, nose and throat.) For example, a Sarawak General Hospital study published in the February 2012 edition of the Malaysian Medical Journal reported that 1,084 such cases, comprising 825 outpatients and 259 inpatients, were seen at the hospital between 2005 to 2009.