‘Faster, less invasive assessment of heart blockage with WF-FFR’
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak Heart Foundation yesterday donated a Wire-Free Fractional Flow Reserve System (WF-FFR) to Sarawak Heart Centre.
The WF-FFR which cost RM199,800, is used to assess the degree of severity of blockages in the coronary artery.
“Sarawak Heart Centre wrote to the Foundation for financial assistance last year and we, on our part, have always been working closely with the Sarawak Heart Centre in upgrading its facilities and equipment to provide the best cardiac service for the people in the state,” said foundation chairperson Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu during the handing-over ceremony yesterday.
She revealed that the sponsorship brought the total value of medical equipment donated by the foundation to the heart centre since 2011 to RM2.66 million. The Wf-FFR can be used to diagnose up to 400 patients in a year.
“With this new technology, there is nearly no risk of perforation of the coronary artery compared to the conventional FFR that requires the use of a wire. The amount of potentially kidney-damaging iodinated contrast use is reduced,” she said.
By rapidly providing a reading in about five minutes, the WF-FFR can safely and quickly provide the necessary information to improve the risk stratification of the patient with coronary heart disease, and Sarawak Heart Foundation hopes that the equipment will improve the services and performance of the Sarawak Heart Centre.
Jamilah said the foundation’s relationship with Sarawak Heart Centre goes back a long way since it was set up in 2011.
“Sarawak Heart Centre has been our faithful partner, especially in providing a wonderful team for the foundation’s free health screenings all these years. The foundation offers free health screenings regularly as part of its core activity to increase public awareness on heart health and the importance of healthy and active lifestyles to avoid heart disease,” she said.
Commenting on the activities by the foundation last year, she said that the foundation successfully extended its outreach to the rural communities of Miri especially among the Penans.
“Thanks to the support and assistance from the district office of Telang Usan in coordinating the events in Long Bedian and Long Kevok and Sarawak Breast Cancer Support Group, the foundation was able to carry its heart awareness programmes there smoothly.
“This year, we intend to reach out to the communities in Bario, Engkilili and Tebedu,” said Jamilah.
She called on corporate organisations and agencies to include the foundation in their corporate social responsibility programmes.
Also present during the WFFFR handing-over ceremony were Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Heart Centre director Dr Mohd Asri Riffin, Sarawak Heart Foundation board trustees members and surgeons working at the centre.
Sarawak Heart Centre wrote to the Foundation for financial assistance last year and we, on our part, have always been working closely with the Sarawak Heart Centre in upgrading its facilities and equipment to provide the best cardiac service for the people in the state. Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu