Scorched By Flames, But Not His Spirit

The incident left 31-year-old Ahmad Nasri Anwar bedridden in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) before he was transferred to the Burn Unit (URK) at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM) in Kubang Kerian, where he underwent nearly nine months of treatment.

Speaking to Bernama during a recent follow-up visit, the former air-conditioning and electrical technician recounted how the ordeal unfolded within seconds after he had finished cleaning his motorcycle engine.

“After wiping the engine, I burned some rubbish. Suddenly, the fire caught my leg. Within seconds, it spread and engulfed my body. In panic and unbearable pain, all I could do was roll on the sand,” he said.

The incident was witnessed by his wife, Nik Nurul Fatihah Nik A Rasid, 30.

“I’m not entirely sure how it happened. There might have been petrol residue on my trousers while I was cleaning the engine, which caused the fire from the burning rubbish to ignite,” he added.

 

The flames left burns on 45 percent of his body, including his right leg, both arms, abdomen, chest, back and face.

According to Ahmad Nasri, rolling on the sand helped extinguish the fire before his wife rushed him to hospital.

“At that time, I was unconscious. When I opened my eyes, I was already in the ICU,” he said.

Due to the severity of his injuries, he was placed in a medically induced coma for 24 days.

With much of his skin severely damaged, he described the experience as not only physically excruciating but also mentally overwhelming.

“While I was ‘asleep’ in the ICU, I didn’t feel the pain. But once I regained consciousness, the pain was indescribable. There was a point when I felt I couldn’t go on,” he admitted.

 

Usually, patients are transferred to the URK within 24 to 48 hours of regaining consciousness, as ICU beds are often needed for other incoming cases.

In Ahmad Nasri’s case, however, he remained in the ICU for two days after regaining consciousness. Once stabilised, he was transferred to the URK, a specialised referral centre for critical burn cases on the east coast.

There, he was placed in a positive-pressure isolation room to minimise the risk of infection. Over nearly nine months, he underwent numerous procedures, including painful wound-cleaning sessions.

“During wound cleaning, the pain is something only God understands, even with painkillers,” he shared.

He also underwent multiple skin grafting procedures to cover extensive open wounds. However, complications arose when some grafts became infected.

“The pain from the procedures made me reluctant to continue treatment. But the doctors persuaded me and showed me my wounds. They said if I stopped, things could get worse,” he said.

Throughout the ordeal, support from his family, including his two young sons, Ahmad Aisy Mikhail and Ahmad Aus Malik, now aged four and five, kept him going.

 

In February 2025, Ahmad Nasri was discharged, though his recovery was far from complete. He now wears a pressure garment for 23 hours a day to control scar formation.

Nearly two years on, he remains grateful for a second chance at life, even as he continues follow-up treatment.

“I almost gave up before, but now I’m truly grateful to still be alive. These scars are a reminder of the hardest moment in my life,” he said.

He is also thankful that much of his treatment costs were covered by the Kelantan Islamic Religious Council, along with assistance from the Social Welfare Department.

 

The HPUSM Burn Unit began operations on Sept 9, 2004, and is currently staffed by 21 personnel, including 13 nurses.

Dr Siti Fatimah Noor Mat Johar, coordinator of the Reconstructive Sciences Unit overseeing the facility, said the unit has only three beds and is sometimes unoccupied, although it also handles outpatient burn cases.

“Burn injuries are classified by depth: superficial (epidermal), superficial dermal, deep dermal and full-thickness. In Ahmad Nasri’s case, we classified it as deep dermal,” she explained.

She added that critically burned patients face a high risk of infection due to the loss of the skin’s protective barrier.

As such, they are placed in positive-pressure rooms to ensure clean air remains inside while potentially contaminated air is kept out.

Treatment, she said, is complex and multidisciplinary, involving physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychological care, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Some patients still recall the sound of explosions or flames whenever they close their eyes. Others struggle with self-esteem due to physical changes,” she said.

 

The Burn Unit employs advanced surgical techniques such as Meek micrografting, which allows a small piece of healthy skin to be expanded to cover a larger wound area.

“This technology is costly and requires specialised expertise, but it produces better outcomes with softer, higher-quality scars,” she said.

The unit also uses Cultured Epithelial Autograft (CEA), a method in which a patient’s skin cells are grown in a laboratory before being transplanted onto the wound to aid healing.

 

Dr Siti Fatimah stressed that immediate first aid is crucial in burn cases.

The most basic step, she said, is to run cool tap water over the affected area for at least 20 minutes to reduce heat and halt the burning process.

“This early action can reduce the depth of the injury and ease pain at the initial stage,” she said.

She likened burn recovery to a long journey.

“Treating burn wounds is like writing a new life story. Each phase of healing is a chapter that patients must go through, one by one, until they reach the final chapter — recovery and a return to normal life.

“Most who make it to that final chapter are those with strong determination and discipline throughout treatment,” she said.