The St John Ambulance of Malaysia turns 100 this year. Although known more for its ambulance and first aid services, SJAM today also provides dialysis centres for the needy, writes AUDREY VIJAINDREN

The 13 dialysis centres are run by 20 staff nurses, four medical assistants and over 70 nursing aides.

WHILE most Malaysians drive slowly but curiously past morbid accident sites, these “saints” in their distinct white and black lined uniform and beret rush in with bandage and iodine solution and other medication to provide first aid.

They are also almost first on the scene when disaster strikes to aid the victims. This is in keeping to a promise they made over a century ago — to serve mankind.

With bandages and iodine solutions, St John Ambulance members have healed countless wounds and saved many lives.

Today, with a fleet of 60 ambulances and 60,000 volunteers, they don’t plan to stop there.
St John Ambulance has recently extended its popular ambulance service to 24 hours and set up 13 dialysis centres nationwide.

Its Pantai Areas (Selangor) chief operating officer and Selangor state commander Burnard Yeo Kim Thong said its division had come a long way since their first Volkswagen ambulance.

“Three decades after our first vehicle, we have 18 fully equipped ambulances, 14 supporting vehicles and 140 full-time staff members. By next year, we hope to have Global Positioning System (GPS) in all our ambulances.

“The Klang branch receives up to eight calls a day. We don’t charge accident and natural disaster victims. But transportation to a private hospital can cost up to RM100.”

Besides a choice ambulance service, SJAM is fast gaining a reputation for operating haemodialysis treatment centres for people suffering from kidney failure.

Yeo said the dialysis centres treat poor, low and middle-income patients, especially those in rural areas.

“We are one of the major dialysis providers with more than 160 dialysis machines and 400 patients under our care. We hope to have 200 machines and 15 centres by end of the year.

“Many had said we were not qualified to run such a facility but we have proved them wrong. Today, many government hospitals refer their patients to us.”

St John Ambulance charges RM110 per dialysis session and assists patients who need the RM50 subsidy offered by the government..

The hardcore poor are “adopted” by volunteers who help them pay for treatment.

Many private and government dialysis centres are in big towns but there are many living in the outskirts who need help, said Yeo.

“We decided to set up centres in rural areas, so patients don’t have to worry about transportation. Our newest centre is in Balakong (situated between Kuala Lumpur and Kajang).

“The 13 dialysis centres are run by 20 staff nurses, four medical assistants and over 70 nursing aides.”

One such nurse is 50-year-old Ng Sew Wan, who has been working with St John Ambulance for 40 years.

Ng, who is now a nursing manager, said although nursing was a noble job, taking care of patients was no easy task, as some are demanding.

“This job requires a lot of patience. The benefits are not like other careers with big bonuses.

“Being part of St John Ambulance requires people skills, as we meet all sorts. Those who want to be a volunteer with us need to be dedicated and compassionate.”

She said the job of a volunteer is not only to provide medical assistance. “Patients need lots of mental and emotional support, too,” added Sew Wan.

Besides training other nurses during office hours, Ng is on standby 24 hours a day and receives calls from patients at odd hours.

“There is no packing up and leaving the office. Forgetting about work at the end of the day is a luxury I don’t have.”

So, what has kept her going all these years? The patients, she replied.

“I would be lying if I said it’s smooth sailing all the time. There were many times when I felt like giving up, but a kind word from a patient is enough to keep me going.

“When you see the desperation in their eyes and know how grateful they are for your help, it’s impossible to turn your back on them.”

It is thanks to Ng and the countless others over the years who have made St John Ambulance into what it is today.

Dialysis at half the cost

KIDNEY problems forced Klang chemist Teh Seng Huat into early retirement and he is most grateful to receive dialysis treatment at an affordable cost.

“I heard about St John Ambulance’s haemodialysis centre through word of mouth,” said 60-year-old Teh. “I’ve been coming here for over a year. Private hospitals charge over RM200 for a dialysis session. St John Ambulance offers the same service at half the cost.”

Teh said without St John Ambulance, many people would be in dire straits.

“Most patients who come here are from low income families. Going to a private hospital is out of the question, especially for those who live in rural areas.

“The centre also has very dedicated staff. I’m more than satisfied with the treatment that I have been receiving. The trained nurses are very professional.”

Complications could arise during a dialysis sessions, Teh said, and that’s why it was important to have trained staff on hand.

“Patients could have blackouts and the machines could stop running. It’s important to have responsive staff like those here. I’ve full confidence in this facility.”

Teh said the centre was close to his home, and this enabled him to commute to the centre without problems.

“With the centre just minutes away from my house, I don’t have to depend on anyone to drive me here.

“Being from the same area also gives us patients common subjects to chitchat about while being treated.

“Unlike most hospitals which have a very cold and sterile atmosphere, the centre is more like a neighbourhood kopitiam.”

THE ORIGIN

THE St John Ambulance Association (SJAA) was established in Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in 1908.

At that time, SJAA members came from the ranks of British civil servants and medical officers from the British army stationed in Malaya and Singapore.

In 1938, Lady Ursula Copland-Griffiths, the superintendent-in-chief of the St John Ambulance Brigade, came to Malaya to organise the formation of the St John Ambulance Brigade (SJAB) in the states of Malaya.

St John Ambulance Brigade divisions were formed in the major towns in Perak and Penang as well as in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru.

In 1971, Health Minister Tan Sri Sardon Zubir suggested the merger of the association and the brigade. The St John Ambulance of Malaysia, the merged association, was set up on Aug 31 the following year.

CENTENARY CELEBRATION

ST John Ambulance started its centenary celebration programme with an emergency healthcare competition for its national training wing on Aug 20 and a grand dinner at the Hokkien Association in Klang.

The celebration continues next month when members will scale Mt Kinabalu and in November, there will be a nationwide mass CPR for its national training wing.

Dec 10-16

International Cadet Camp, Templer Park, Selangor

Dec 11-12

Officers conference, Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Dec 14

National Review,

Dataran Merdeka

How to contact:

St John Ambulance Malaysia

Kawasan Pantai Selangor

Bangunan Yeo Cheng Swee,

2984-A Persiaran Raja Muda

Musa, 41100 Klang.

Hotline: 03-3371 5005

Tel: 03-3373 5005 / 03-3374 5005