RM155,000 medical equipment donated to hospital in Likas
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC) yesterday contributed RM155,000 worth of medical equipment to the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital in Likas.
Sabah Women and Children's Hospital Board of Visitors Chairman, Dr Pamela Yong said during a ceremony to launch and deliver the pediatric medical equipment that these included 10 units of phototherapy lights and a transport incubator for newborns.
She explained that the equipment donated were crucial to the hospital, citing that phototherapy lights are used to treat babies with neonatal jaundice (NNJ).
"In view of the fact that the Sabah Women and Children Hospital is the biggest tertiary facility and referral centre for neonates in the state, it is therefore not unusual that our NNJ admissions are the highest," she said.
She added that 35 percent of babies admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are jaundice cases and that cases come from as far as Long Pasia.
She also explained that neonatal jaundice is a yellowish discolouration of the white part of the eyes and skin in a newborn due to high bilirubin levels.
"If left untreated, it can be fatal," she warned.
And if the baby survives, it will suffer from irreversible cerebral paralysis or a form of brain damage known as Kernicterus.
"Fortunately, this severe condition can be easily managed by putting the babies under a coloured blue light known as phototherapy. These babies will usually require phototherapy for anywhere up to 24 hours, and in the most severe cases, phototherapy may last up to five to seven days," she said.
Averagely, between 20 and 25 babies suffer from neonatal jaundice in NICU daily who require phototherapy.
Presently, NICU has 16 units available, leading to babies being rotated to undergo phototherapy.
"But with the addition 10 units, this will no longer be necessary," she said.
As for the transport incubator, which cost RM70,000 per unit, the device is used to transport ill babies from NICU to the operating theater for surgery, as well as to other departments such as radiology department for scans and other investigation, she said.
"We have on average 550 to 600 babies admitted to NICU per month which averages out to 20 babies per day, all requiring such means of transfer," she said.
Presently, NICU has two units of such device, one of which is over 10 years old and breaks down constantly.
Health and People's Welfare Minister, Datuk Stephen Wong commended SCC for their effort and urged more corporations to emulate them.
He reminded that the government had limited resources but if everyone were to chip in to help, then more could be done.
Also present at the event was SCC Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Vincent Pung.