RM1.5 mln raised for Keningau haemodialysis centre extension
KOTA KINABALU: Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu Liaison Centre has successfully raised RM1.5 million for the extension of Keningau Hospital Haemodialysis Centre.
The extension project, which costs a total sum of RM1.7 million, will enable the hospital to accommodate an additional 20 units of haemodialysis machines.
Despite already running three shifts, the existing 20 haemodialysis machines at the centre in Keningau are insufficient to cope with the number of dialysis patients.
Some patients could only undergo dialysis once or twice a week, even though they should ideally go for treatment thrice weekly.
Minister of Heath and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt said the 20 new machines could benefit at least 60 patients per day.
He said that when gracing a charity dinner organized by Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu Liaison Centre to raise fund for the project here on Monday.
A charity run was also held in Keningau the day before for the same purpose.
Wong at the dinner announced a contribution of RM50,000 from his ministry’s funds for the cause.
He said the State Health Department wrote to Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu Liaison Centre on March 26, 2015 requesting for support to extend the Haemodialysis Centre of Keningau Hospital due to the acute shortage of space and machines to meet the demand of kidney failure patients.
On December 9, 2015, he said the foundation agreed and approved the project but it had taken a few years to get the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed upon.
In April 2016, Wong said the State Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi led a team of 15 medical staff including hospital directors from Sabah to visit Tzu-Chi Foundation headquarters in Hualien, Taiwan where they paid a courtesy call to the Venerable Cheng Yen, who gave her blessing for the project.
He said the MoU was signed at Putrajaya between the Tzu-Chi Foundation Malaysia and the Ministry of Health on March 14 this year.
“This marks the beginning of the extension of the Haemodialysis Centre at Keningau Hospital, which upon completion, will be able to accommodate an additional 20 units of haemodialysis machines.
“There are currently 58 patients in the waiting list.
“The 20 new machines can benefit at least 60 patients per day,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu Liaison Centre person in charge Chong Chee Kim said the foundation had raised sufficient funds to kick start the extension of the haemodialysis centre.
He said the foundation had raised around RM1.5 million thus far, including RM950,000 in Kota Kinabalu, RM600,000 in Keningau and RM50,000 from Stephen.
“We are still short of RM200,000 but donations are still coming in.”
Chong hoped that the project would be completed soon to meet the urgent needs of many dialysis patients.
The 1,000 guests at the dinner were served with full vegetarian meals.