JERANTUT: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has graced the inauguration of the fifth Yayasan Al-Sultan Abdullah (Yasa) Hemodialysis Centre in Taman Impian Permai, here, today.
Accompanied by the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, His Majesty arrived to officiate the event.
Also present were Pahang Works, Transport, and Health Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff, Pahang Health director Datuk Dr Nor Azimi Yunus and the Yasa chief executive officer Mohd Fakhrul Islam Juhali.
During the ceremony, Al-Sultan Abdullah took the time to interact with patients undergoing treatment at the hemodialysis centre.
He also witnessed the handover of the first ambulance to Yasa, equipped with a defibrillator and ventilator for trauma and emergency assistance.
The hemodialysis centre provides free treatment to kidney patients fully sponsored by Yasa.
The centre operates from 7am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday, with 12 dialysis machines.
In a statement issued by the Istana Negara, His Majesty expressed appreciation to the Health Ministry, government agencies, and sponsors who supported his sincere efforts in establishing the Yasa Jerantut hemodialysis centre.
Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara, Major General Datuk Zahari Mohd Ariffin said that Al-Sultan Abdullah's deep concern for chronic kidney patients and the need for hemodialysis services for those in need, especially in the M40 and B40 groups, prompted him to establish the centre to alleviate their financial burden.
As a non-profit welfare organisation, Yasa's hemodialysis centre accepts less privileged patients under Yasa's sponsorship, as well as sponsorship or subsidies from government bodies, non-governmental organisations, and employers.
"The establishment of the Yasa hemodialysis centre also serves the pure purpose of responding to the government's call and assisting because the number of patients requiring treatment is substantial, reaching 8,000 new cases annually," he said.
The Yasa hemodialysis centre in Jerantut is the fifth of its kind, following those in Taman Melati, Kuala Lumpur (opened on July 28, 2022), Pekan, Pahang (Dec 11, 2021), Setiawangsa and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur, which began operations on Aug 12, 2020, and Aug 7, 2019, respectively.
Zahari added that the existing four Yasa hemodialysis centres treated nearly 20,363 patients per month last year, with machine utilisation rates ranging between 95 and 100 per cent at each centre.
He asked for more individuals and private entities to come forward and assist this targeted group in obtaining hemodialysis treatment through sponsorships and treatment subsidies.
He also advised the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle, control daily nutrition, and avoid products that could harm the kidneys. --BERNAMA