22-04-2025
Yakeb to discuss treatment plan for ailing Saravanan with UMMC
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) will continue to look at ways to assist former national walker G. Saravanan, who is battling motor neurone disease (MND).
Yakeb chairman Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said the foundation is set to discuss a treatment plan for him with University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), where Saravanan has been receiving treatment on a scheduled basis.
Saravanan is a legendary Malaysian athlete who won gold in race walking at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games. No other Malaysian track and field athlete has been able to win gold at the Commonwealth Games since then.
"The disease Saravanan has is quite critical and treatment for it is hard to explain," said Shapawi in a press conference here today (April 22).
"I have discussed this with Yakeb board member Dr. Ahmad Munawwar Helmi Salim, who is also director of sports medicine at the National Sports Institute.
"We will have a discussion with UMMC soon to look at the most efficient way to treat him and get a better picture of how we can best help him.
"Saravanan (who was warded at UMMC recently) has returned to Penang but will later return to Kuala Lumpur for his next scheduled appointment with UMMC."
Despite facing financial constraints themselves, Shapawi said Yakeb has done their best to assist Saravanan since he was diagnosed with MND in 2021.
This includes helping him obtain employment with the Penang State Sports Council in 2023, obtain invalidity pension from the Social Security Organisation last year as well as help support costs for him to obtain alternative treatment in India (2024-2025).
Yakeb is also providing Saravanan with a subsistence allowance for a period of six months, beginning from this month.
MND is a debilitating, life-shortening disease which causes muscle weaknesses that becomes progressively worse with time. It is the same disease that the late Datuk Mokhtar Dahari faced.
There is currently no cure for the disease though treatment is available to manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Saravanan has received extra support since his plight made headlines last week.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim contributed RM10,000 while public donations have exceeded RM20,000.
Saravanan's treatment costs in excess of RM1,000 per week and his family have spent more than RM100,000 on treatment since 2021.
