Loh Foon Fong
The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Heart transplant patient Tee Hui Yi was mostly breathing on her own Friday and, if all goes well, the ventilator will be removed on Saturday.

The National Heart Institute transplant team head Datuk Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub said the medical personnel were building her up gradually on nutrition, muscle strength and breathing ability as her body had been weak before surgery.

“We are taking it one day at a time,” he said.

Hui Yi’s ventilator was removed Tuesday but put back on the following day when she was feeling tired breathing on her own, he said after Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil visited Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Hui Yi and lung transplant patient Lang Kong.

“Adik Tee’s heart biopsy test showed no signs of organ rejection. We remain optimistic about her progress,” said the chief cardiothoracic surgeon.

“She was alert and cheerful and shook hands with Datuk Seri Najib. She cannot talk because of a tube in her airways but she can communicate well with us through gestures. She can move her hands, her legs, turn her body and smile,” he added.

Hui Yi is still on nasal gastric tube feeding, he said.

The media were not allowed to visit her in the Intensive Care Unit.

“We have to restrict visits because it is a critical time for her. We have given her a lot of immuno suppressant drugs for the body and this lowers her defence against infection,” he said.

On when she would be able to come out of ICU, Datuk Mohd Azhari was unable to say that she would be monitored daily adding that doctors and nurses would be on call over the Hari Raya weekend.