Premature baby born in Singapore to Malaysia couple needs estimated $460k for medical bills

A pregnant woman from Padang Lembu, Malaysia was visiting her husband working in Singapore when she had to give birth via an emergency caesarian section due to gestational hypertension.

The baby was born on Aug 22 after a gestation period of just six months, and weighed only 705g, said the baby's grandfather, Jiang Tingfeng (transliteration), who held a press conference in their village near Gurun, Kedah, on Friday (Sept 6).

Jiang told Malaysian media that his pregnant daughter-in-law had gone to visit his son, Yipeng (transliteration), the previous day with their five-year-old.

The newborn, named Junxuan (transliteration), is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) and is expected to stay there for the first 120 days of his life, China Press reported.

"He is still in critical condition and, according to doctors, due to his extremely premature birth, he is also facing some complications," the elder Jiang said. "The oesophagus is not yet fully developed and he cannot consume milk normally, thus he requires constant monitoring."

Jiang added that, as of Aug 28, his daughter-in-law's surgery and hospitalisation bill alone has exceeded $40,000. In total, the family is set to incur an estimated $460,000, which includes the baby's extended stay in hospital, said Jiang. 

"We are facing an insurmountable financial challenge, and we have tried everything we can, but the cost of medical care has exceeded our capacity," he said. "We hope that everyone can help us through this."

A charity organisation in Padang Lembu has stepped up to help the Jiangs, donating RM50,000 (S$15,000). And with the help of the villagers, they have raised about RM150,000, said its chairman, Chen Shunfa (transliteration), who is seeking donations from the public.

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This article has been edited for clarity.

drimac@asiaone.com