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Travelling from Bangladesh for treatment, Mr Mohammad Ali Khan found comfort in a medical team that made him feel at home.

The chatty, smiling man in an immaculate white panjabi (a traditional Bangladeshi outfit) is unrecognisable from the silent and tense figure who arrived in Singapore seeking treatment for Stage 3 gastric cardia cancer.

That man — now a healthy and cheerful 51-year-old — was Mr Mohammad Ali Khan in November 2019. A businessman in Bangladesh’s garment industry, he first suspected something was wrong with his health when he lost his appetite and developed a recurring fever. “The first doctor I visited said it was nothing serious and gave me some medication for gastric discomfort,” he recalled. “But I still didn’t feel better, so after three or four months, I went to another doctor who recommended an endoscopy.”

The endoscopy and subsequent biopsy revealed a large cancerous tumour in his stomach extending into his oesophagus. Shaken and overwhelmed, Mr Ali turned to prayer and acts of charity, preparing himself for the worst.

His family was equally devastated. His five brothers and three sisters joined his mother, wife and children at their home to pray for him. It was during one of these gatherings that his eldest brother suggested seeking treatment in Singapore.

The family was familiar with Mount Elizabeth Hospitals in Singapore — one of his nieces had undergone oral surgery at Mount Elizabeth Orchard as a baby. Encouraged, Mr Ali took the plunge and applied for a visa, which was approved within seven days. A month later, they were in Singapore to consult with Dr Melvin Look, a general surgeon and medical director at PanAsia Surgery, followed by an appointment with Dr Zee Ying Kiat, a senior consultant and medical oncologist at Parkway Cancer Centre, the next day.

The Little Things that Mattered

Before travelling to Singapore, Mr Ali visited the Parkway Cancer Centre Dhaka office (CanHOPE Dhaka) in Bangladesh. There, he met Mr Nayeem Khan, who soothed his worries and uncertainty with his reassuring and detail-oriented handling of the entire process, from medical counselling and doctor selection to logistical matters such as visa arrangements and interpreter services for a smooth and seamless journey.

Mr Nayeem also shared with him the treatment plan developed by Dr Zee. This consisted of eight chemotherapy cycles, in addition to surgery performed by Dr Look to remove the tumour. Both doctors made a positive impression on Mr Ali, a keen observer who appreciated the small but meaningful gestures that spoke to their dedication and holistic approach to care.

For example, at their first consultation, Mr Ali arrived with three family members, but the room had only two chairs. “Dr Zee didn’t say anything — he just asked me to sit down before going out to bring in chairs from the next room for my relatives to sit on,” he recalled. “In other places, a specialist doctor of his rank might press a button to call someone else to do something like that! He was very welcoming and down to earth.”

He was equally struck by Dr Look’s commitment. “After my surgery, I stayed in hospital for around 11 days, and I had to eat very little food at a time in order to digest it properly,” Mr Ali recounted. “Once, Dr Look saw me and my brother eating at the Mount Elizabeth Orchard canteen and came by to explain every step of my surgery with my brother. He also checked in on me during my recovery, even though it was Chinese New Year and he was already in his own clothes.”

Gentle Care That Stayed With Him

Mr Ali added that he was deeply moved by the gentle care he received from the Parkway Cancer Centre team. Nurses were careful when sponge-bathing him after surgery, and phlebotomists drew blood with such skill that he barely felt discomfort.

Ms Shyamali, a translator with Parkway Hospitals, recalled meeting Mr Ali for the first time. He was accompanied by his siblings, nieces and nephews, who had travelled with him. “The family were sitting in the clinic looking very sad, and he was so reserved that he did not say a single word the entire day,” she recounted. “But gradually, he grew easy with me as I accompanied them to every doctor’s appointment.”

Ms Shyamali and her colleague, Ms Swarnali, who took turns translating for him, provided a sense of home. They listened when he needed to share his worries and helped lift his spirits. Over time, they grew so close to Mr Ali and his family that they still keep in contact today as friends.

“The kind gestures of everyone made me feel warm inside,” he said. “This is the way every hospital patient should be treated. Just from the care and kindness of the medical team, you already feel half-cured.”

His surgical stay culminated in joyous celebration when Dr Look announced that the cancer had not spread beyond the original tumour. Upon hearing his translated words, Mr Ali began to weep from happiness, surrounded by the doctors and nurses who had walked his cancer journey with him and shared his joy at the good news.

Facing Challenges with Courage

During his first four chemotherapy cycles, Mr Ali commuted between Singapore and Bangladesh every 15 days before undergoing surgery in January 2020. After recuperating, he returned home but came back for two more rounds of chemotherapy.

However, travel restrictions due to COVID-19 meant he could not return for his final two cycles if he left Singapore. Unsure of how long restrictions would last, he decided to go home. Dr Zee arranged for him to undergo the last two rounds of chemotherapy in Bangladesh and approved an equivalent chemotherapy regimen using locally available medications.

Throughout the pandemic, Dr Zee continued to monitor his progress closely. Last year, while visiting Bangladesh, he met Mr Ali and his family at the Dhaka office.

“My son was very happy to chat about my treatment with Dr Zee, who reassured us that there would be hardly any chance of the cancer recurring once I crossed the five-year mark,” said Mr Ali.

Now cancer-free, he is thankful for the support he has received — from family and friends who prayed and cared for him to the medical team in Singapore who gave him hope.

“The way I was treated in Singapore, with such friendliness and genuine warmth — I remember every detail, like a movie replaying in front of me,” he shared. “I tell my family and friends, if you have a medical problem, you’ll get the number one treatment and assistance there.”

“The way I was treated in Singapore, with such friendliness and genuine warmth — I remember every detail, like a movie replaying in front of me.”
Mr Mohammad Ali Khan, reflecting on his cancer care journey from Bangladesh to Singapore