Abdul Rozali-Wathooth

Yang Berbahagia Dato' Dr. Abdul Rozali-Wathooth DPCM, KMN, MBBS. FRACS
Abdul Rozali-Wathooth at Subang Jaya Medical Centre (July 2010)
Born	(1949-10-04) 4 October 1949 (age 76) Batu Gajah, Perak, Federation of Malaya
Citizenship	Malaysian
Known for	Pioneer of cardiothoracic surgery in Malaysia
Spouse	Aminah Noor
Children	2, including Johan Rozali-Wathooth
Medical career
Profession	Cardiothoracic surgeon
Institutions	Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Institut Jantung Negara, Subang Jaya Medical Centre

Abdul Rozali-Wathooth (born 4 October 1949) is a retired Malaysian cardiothoracic surgeon. He was a founding member of the surgical team that established the first dedicated open-heart surgery program in Malaysia. He is also known for his involvement in the surgical teams that performed coronary artery bypass surgery on former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1989 and 2007. ^{[1] [2]}

Early life and education

Rozali was born in Batu Gajah, Perak. He attended King Edward VII School in Taiping Perak, before continuing his secondary education at the Royal Military College in Kuala Lumpur.

After completing his secondary education, he completed a medical degree (MBBS) at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, in 1974. He completed his specialist training in Australia, becoming a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 1982.

Between 1976 and 1981, his clinical rotations included placements at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. ^{[3] [ verification needed ]}

Career

In 1981 Rozali was one of eight healthcare professionals, later referred to in Malaysian medical history as the "Dream Team," sent to Sydney to train in open-heart surgical techniques. Upon his return, he served as the founding Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) from 1982 to 1985. On 22 October 1982, his team performed the first Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery in Malaysia, a quintuple bypass on a 39-year-old patient. ^[4]

In 1985, he transitioned to the private sector, joining the Subang Jaya Medical Centre (then Penawar Hospital) as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon. He continued to serve at the hospital until his retirement from clinical practice on 1 January 2021. ^{[3] [ verification needed ]}

Post-retirement and academic roles

Following his clinical retirement, Rozali assumed administrative and academic leadership roles. He has served as the Chairman of IJN Holdings and the Chairman of Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) College. ^[5] He was also a member of the Board of Studies for the joint Cardiothoracic Surgery program between Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and IJN. ^[6]

Personal life

Rozali is married to Aminah Noor. He is the father of Johan Rozali-Wathooth, the founder of Malaysian impact investing firm Bintang Capital Partners. ^{[7] [ verification needed ]}

Honours

• Malaysia:
  • Officer of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (KMN) (1983) ^[8]
• Perak:
  • Knight of the Order of Cura Si Manja Kini (DPCM) – Dato’ (1996) ^{[9] [ dead link ]}

References

1. "Day the PM had a heart attack" (PDF). Perdana Leadership Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
2. "IJN Media Statement 4 Sept 2007" (PDF). Institut Jantung Negara. 4 September 2007.
3. Teh, L. (20 March 2021). "Heart and Soul: Heart surgeon Rozali Wathooth retires". The Star .
4. Wathooth, R. (27 June 2021). "Remembering the "Dream Team"". New Straits Times .
5. "Datuk Dr Rozali Wathooth Assumes Leadership as Chairman of IJN College". IJN University College. 19 February 2024.
6. Boo, S.L. (24 April 2024). "UiTM 'Confident' Of Getting MMC Recognition For Local Cardiothoracic Programme". CodeBlue.
7. "Bintang Capital Partners: Pursuing impact by building B Corps". Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Retrieved 2024-05-22.
8. "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Tahun 1983" (PDF). Bahagian Istiadat dan Urusetia Persidangan Antarabangsa.
9. "DPCM 1996". pingat.perak.gov.my.