A Fresh Take on Lung Health: Coffee Break with Dr Syed Ajmal, Consultant Physician & Respiratory Medicine
19 August 2024
Respiratory medicine is often viewed through a narrow lens, with many perceiving it as limited to the treatment of common ailments like asthma or bronchitis. However, this field is far more complex and critical, especially in the rapidly evolving landscape of interventional pulmonology. At the forefront of these innovations is Dr Syed Ajmal Syed Ali, a distinguished Consultant Physician & Respiratory Medicine at Sunway Medical Centre. After spending eight years in the UK, where he honed his expertise in cutting-edge respiratory interventions, Dr. Syed has returned to Malaysia with a mission to revolutionise respiratory care in his home country.
"My goal has always been to bring back the advanced techniques and knowledge I've gained abroad to improve patient outcomes here," Dr. Syed shares. His dedication to integrating these advanced methods into Malaysia’s healthcare system is evident as he continues to push the boundaries of what respiratory medicine can achieve.
His Journey in the UK
In the UK, Dr Syed specialised in respiratory medicine, which he describes as a rapidly expanding field. "When I started, interventional pulmonology was still a relatively new area, with much of it being surgeon-led," he explains. "But during my time there, I witnessed a significant shift, where physicians began taking the lead in these procedures."
Dr Syed worked primarily in the East Midlands, including stints in Mansfield, Kingsmill, and Derbyshire, with most of his time spent at Leicester's university teaching hospitals. He reflects on his experiences in the UK with fondness, stating, "The working environment in the UK was calm and supportive, which allowed me to focus on both patient care and research. I was fortunate to work alongside some brilliant minds and present my research at international conferences."
A Lifesaving Procedure
Among Dr. Syed's notable contribution was his involvement in developing a unique draining solution for a heart cancer patient. This groundbreaking intervention, which had not been attempted before, was designed to address a patient with heart cancer. "This was a particularly challenging case," he shares. The patient, suffering from severe complications due to fluid buildup around the heart, needed a solution that was both effective and minimally invasive.
"Working with a multidisciplinary team, we devised a method to drain the fluid without resorting to open surgery, which was crucial given the patient's condition." This innovation, though the prognosis was poor, the intervention prolonged the patient’s life by a year, allowing him to get married to his long-time girlfriend and say goodbye to his friends and family.”
Returning to Malaysia
His decision to return to Malaysia was driven by family considerations, coupled with a desire to contribute to his home country's medical field. "We always knew that at some point, once we finished training, we would come back," he says. "Family played a big role in that decision, but I also felt a strong pull to bring back what I had learned and apply it in Malaysia."
Initially, Dr Syed had planned to stay longer in the UK, but an opportunity with Sunway Medical Centre prompted an earlier return. "Sunway's facilities and their expansion plans really impressed me," he explains. "Dr. Chia's tour of the hospital's state-of-the-art facilities convinced me that this was the right place to continue my work. The vision they had for expanding respiratory services aligned perfectly with my own goals."
Bringing Expertise Home
Since returning, Dr Syed has been at the forefront of introducing several new procedures to Malaysian healthcare, particularly in government hospitals. "One of the first things I did was to introduce rigid thoracoscopy and physician-led ultrasound-guided biopsies," he shares. "These procedures were not commonly practised in Malaysia before, but they offer significant benefits in terms of accuracy and patient outcomes."
Aside from that, he is also actively involved in training local and international pulmonologists through the Patient-Specific Artificial Respiratory Unit (PARU) group, Malaysia's platform for advanced medical training through innovative and high-fidelity simulation solutions.
Championing Respiratory Health
Dr. Syed is passionate about raising awareness of respiratory diseases that often go under-recognized. "Respiratory diseases, like COPD, are often overlooked until they become severe," he emphasises. "Despite COPD being the third leading cause of death globally, it's not something that people are generally aware of. Most are familiar with asthma, but the understanding and recognition of COPD are still lacking."
He continues, "One of my main goals is to bring back the knowledge and experience I've gained in the UK and apply it here. But more than that, I want to help shift the focus towards prevention and early intervention. By increasing public awareness and providing access to advanced screening and diagnostic tools, we can improve outcomes for patients across Malaysia."
He is committed to advancing the field of respiratory medicine in Malaysia, both by sharing his expertise and by increasing public awareness of critical respiratory health issues. "It's not just about treating diseases—it's about creating a healthcare environment where prevention and early detection are prioritised," he concludes.
