KOTA KINABALU: The government through Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN) has spent RM4 million to fund 60 patients with kidney problems nationwide from 2015 until July.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said all individuals fully sponsored were underprivileged dialysis patients with monthly income of below RM1,200.
“The treatment cost to be borne by a patient is normally around RM200 per session, with an average of 13 sessions per month, not including cost of medicine.
“YKN therefore showed concern especially towards those undergoing dialysis,” she said when visiting Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)-YKN Dialysis Centre here today.
Also present were Sabah deputy chief minister Christina Liew; Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh and UMS vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr D Kamarudin D Mudin.
The dialysis centre started operating on June 14 last year with 10 dialysis machines and can accommodate a maximum of 54 patients.
So far there are YKN dialysis centres across the country in Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister cum YKN board of trustees chairman, said the social service aimed to assist the government’s aspiration to reduce people’s burden of high dialysis treatment cost.
She added YKN would continue cooperating with UMS for various charitable efforts of those in need.
“In view of that, YKN wishes to form an excellence centre with UMS’collaboration to benefit people in this state,” she said.