STEC Kidney Foundation to accelerate funding for needy patients, raise awareness of disease
The Sarawak Turf and Equestrian Club (STEC) Kidney Foundation is presently providing financial assistance to 20 needy kidney patients across the state, says its president Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
According to him, 10 out of these patients are receiving treatment at Yayasan Amal Maaedicare, followed by five at Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) Dialysis Centre Miri, four at Sibu Kidney Foundation, and one at Yayasan St John Ambulance Malaysia.
“Messrs Natural Avenue Sdn Bhd (Natural Avenue) is one of the main sponsors of the foundation since its inception on Jan 20, 1998,” he said.
“Despite a difficult business environment presently caused by competition from illegal operators, Covid-19 stoppage and the aermath economic downturn, Natural Avenue has continued to give us its support.
“During this period, the STEC Kidney Foundation has not received donations from its other sponsors which we hope soon will be forthcoming,” said Dr Sim in a statement, issued in connection with a presentation of cheque by Natural Avenue to the foundation – the amount, however, was not disclosed.
According to Dr Sim, STEC Kidney Foundation utilises the donations received to provide financial assistance to needy kidney patients all over Sarawak who are unable to pay for their dialysis treatment.
The Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), he said, had limited places for dialysis patients and treatments made available at private hospitals were beyond the means of most patients.
“The foundation’s multi-racial beneficiaries are low-income earners with a few living on social welfare assistance, of which some of them have been receiving financial assistance from the foundation for more than 18 years.
“We had sponsored a patient in 1999 when he was just a 17year-old student. Today, he is a healthy young man working part-time, and is still undergoing dialysis three times a week under our assistance.
“There has been a huge drop from the 60 sponsored patients at one stage, and this is not due to a decrease of needy patients but rather to an increase in dialysis centres in various government hospitals and polyclinics in Sarawak.
“These facilities have expanded their haemodialysis treatment to cater for the increasing patients needing treatment.”
Dr Sim pointed out that the Ministry of Health had also correspondingly increased its subsidy per dialysis from RM50 to RM100.