Foundation to set up more dialysis centres if need arises
Published on: Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN), an agency under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, will set up more dialysis centres in the country if the need arises.Its Board of Trustees Chairperson Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said presently there are six dialysis centres in the nation, including the latest one in Sabah.She said the consideration to have more such centres would also include Sabah in which YKN will discuss with Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman if there is a necessity.
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"We do plan to increase the number of dialysis centres because it is needed, especially by those who can't afford to pay for the cost of the dialysis."YKN is fully aware of the high cost for dialysis as each patient, who suffers renal failure, and need to undergo dialysis treatment three times a week with cost about RM180 per treatment."Following this, YKN is sponsoring 18 eligible patients to get free dialysis service for a year at our dialysis centre which is called YKN-UMS Dialysis Centre whereby Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) via its medical faculty is our smart partner to run the centre," she said.Shahrizat said this to reporters after visiting the dialysis centre at Plaza Kingfisher here, Tuesday.
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She also presented three dialysis assistance costing RM31,200 each to three patients who have been selected to be fully sponsored by YKN to cover the costs of undergoing the dialysis treatment at the centre for a year.Also present were Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad, YKN Board of Trustees member Prof Dato' Sri Dr Abu Hassan Asaari Abdullah, YKN-UMS Dialysis Centre head Dr Tan Tek Song, Sabah Umno Wanita Chief Datuk Armani Mahiruddin and other senior officials.
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Sharizat said the YKN-UMS dialysis, which has been operating since Sept 4, this year, was the result of a smart partnership with UMS and it has 10 dialysis machines.So far, she said four patients are fully sponsored by YKN to undergo dialysis treatment at the centre here and is looking for another 16 patients to be funded by them."The new dialysis centre here is equipped with 10 dialysis machines and can be rotated for use by patients up to 60 times as its maximum capacity,"Apart from this, the centre has resting room for patients to recover and they will be given food after treatment," she said, adding that the centre will enhance its two sessions for the dialysis treatment to three sessions comprising morning, noon and afternoon for patients.According to Dr Abu Hassan, the fully-sponsored YKN monetary aid is provided to those who could not afford to pay for the high cost of getting the dialysis treatment.Failing to get the dialysis treatment, he said the patient would feel weak. He said YKN would seek assistance from the Community Welfare Department to screen the financial standings of the Sabah applicants."The centre here practices a holistic concept whereby the whole family of patients would ask to undergo health screening and they will be given proper advice on food taking, especially for the patients suffering from renal failure," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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