IJN clinches PM’s Innovation Award
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Heart Institute (IJN) has won the annual Prime Minister’s Innovation Award for its breakthrough achievements.
The award, which is into its third year, is the highest recognition for high-impact innovative achievements by public sector agencies.
It comes with a RM1mil reward and trophy.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who congratulated IJN for its achievements, said it was important to embrace creativity and innovation as it would help push government bodies and the country to greater heights, especially in the globalised world.
“Our two big challenges are how to create new wealth for the nation and to have a better competitive edge. Innovation and creativity will help us achieve this,” he said before handing over the award to IJN chief executive officer Tan Sri Dr Robaayah Zambahari yesterday.
Najib later visited patients and launched IJN’s new mobile clinic for rural areas.
Najib, his wife and IJN Foundation patron Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali also watched a live transmission of a coronary artery bypass surgery and an angiogram procedure.
IJN’s long list of achievements include being the first in Malaysia to introduce the “watchman” device to reduce stroke risks, to conduct a minimally invasive procedure to treat congenital chest deformity, as well as to introduce the “mitra clip” to tackle the leaking mitral valve.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he was proud of IJN, noting that it had come up with a number of innovative open heart surgeries and effective transplant measures.
IJN, he said, would be expanding its paediatric heart centre to cater to some 4,000 newborn babies with heart conditions annually.
Dr Mahathir said the award was in recognition of IJN’s achievements and how it had continued to expand since it was set up 20 years ago.
“It is not often that this kind of facility can achieve so much in such a short time.”
Dr Robaayah thanked Najib for the award which she said was very meaningful and made its current 20th anniversary celebrations extra special.
“We will have a meeting soon to decide how to use the RM1mil,” she said.