Drastic steps needed to achieve zero Thalassemia patients target – doctor
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Health Department should do something different, take more drastic and fast measures, to achieve zero Thalassemia patients in Sabah by 2025.
In his opening speech yesterday, the organizing chairman of Thalassemia in Sabah 2019 Seminar Datuk Dr Mohd Yusof Ibrahim of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said it hoped to achieve the target as thalassemia posed a threat to the state.
Based on statistics, the state had the highest number of Thalassemia patients in the country, thus more programs are needed to raise and spread awareness among Sabah people regarding Thalassemia, Dr Mohd Yusof told a seminar held at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) in UMS.
The program was jointly organized by FHMS, Sabah Health Department, Perdesa and Sabah Thalassemia Association with the theme “Universal access to quality Thalassemia healthcare services: Building bridges with and for patients.”
Launching the program was Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital (HWKKS) director Dr Tan Bee Hwai who was present as a representative for the State Health Department director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
In the seminar, an overview of Thalassemia in Sabah revealed the total number of Thalassemia patients in Malaysia at 6,646 patients up to November 2015, and Sabah has the highest number among the states with 1,553 of patients, followed by Selangor and Federal Territories at 788 and 605 patients, respectively.
As for the distribution of Thalassemia patients according to treatment centres or districts, the highest number of patients are at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, HWKKS, Keningau, Kota Marudu and Pitas while based on ethnic group, the KadazanDusun group has the highest Thalassemia patients.
The overview was delivered by a speaker from the State Health Department, Dr Soh Chin Li, who also emphasized on the escalating cost of treating Thalassemia patients and efforts to prevent Thalassemia occurrence, including screening and spreading awareness.