22 kids treated to day of fun and excitement
Published on: Sunday, December 04, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Some 22 children were treated to a day of fun and excitement by MAA Medicare Charitable Foundation at the Green Connection, here, on Saturday.The children whose parents are on dialysis at the Peter Mole – MAA Medicare Charity Dialysis Centre were given a tour at the aquarium and science discovery centre and were also presented with a school bag each.MAA Medicare chief executive officer Datuk Aliyah Karen said the kids@Medicare programme was an annual project since 2009 and part of the two key projects of the Foundation apart from the Patients Welfare Programme (PWF).ADVERTISEMENT "Each year all dialysis centres will organise various activities for school going children of our patients via the kids@Medicare programme."The staff will encourage recycling projects, painting or singing as these children hardly get to have fun during holidays as their parents are on dialysis."At the end of the school year, we provide them with school bags and essentials to help ease the burden of our patients."This year, some 150 school going children aged between six and 16 are assisted," she said during the programme, here, on Saturday.ADVERTISEMENT To date, the Foundation has spread its wings to nine states with 12 centres nationwide caring for 830 patients. The Peter Mole – MAA Medicare Charity Dialysis Centre located at 88 Marketplace provides highly subsidised treatment for 62 patients who cannot afford treatment at private hospitals and centres.
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The school supplies were handed out by MAA Medicare Board of Trustees member Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin.Ibrahim said he is proud to be associated with such programmes."With the current economic climate, it is really tough on some patients who can't afford the bare minimum."Via our PWF programme, we provide monthly groceries, additional injections and medications. We also cover some transport fare."As for the parents, it is an expensive affair, more so when they are unable to work due to kidney failure. "It is the least we can do and for this centre, the children had previously gone to the zoo and now here (the Green Connection), it is just good to share their joy," he said.MAA Medicare Kidney Charity Fund, an arm of the Foundation is now the second largest non-profit provider in Malaysia to save lives and improve health through disease prevention, life saving cardiac diagnosis and safe treatment modalities.As the first cardiac diagnostic and treatment centre for the underprivileged in the country, it also advocates health education with the objective to create awareness and instigate research on cardiac diseases.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Meanwhile, the Foundation had also obtained several international recognitions this year.Among them were the Gold Award for Best Practices 2016 from the European Society of Quality Research, Diamond Eye Award and Majestic Falcon Award from the Otherways' Organisation as well as the World Business Leader Diploma from the Bizz 2016.