Young heart patients can now fly to KL, thanks to oxygen concentrator

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KOTA SAMARAHAN: Young heart disease sufferers are now able to travel to Kuala Lumpur for treatment with the help of oxygen concentrator made available by Sarawak Heart Foundation (SHF).

Taib places his donation for the SGH Heart Centre.

Taib (left) unveils the late Laila Taib’s portrait that is being displayed at the centre’s main lobby. — Photos by Chimon Upon

Previously, there have been some problems for children patients to be referred to Kuala Lumpur because they would require oxygen support throughout their journey but some newer aircrafts do not provide oxygen facilities to patients.

The machine was among equipment presented by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud as chairman of the foundation to SGH Heart Centre here yesterday.

“With the support of the machine (oxygen concentrator), it will enable children patients to
go to Kuala Lumpur for
treatment and will at least give them hope to be healthy like anyone else.

“With the equipment now available, we can send at least 100 children who require treatment at the national heart centre in Kuala Lumpur,” he said at the presentation of surgical instruments and oxygen concentrator to the centre yesterday.

Earlier, he said the materialisation of SGH Heart Centre was a result of very dedicated voluntary efforts.

“It started more than 25 years ago by group of ladies and wives of ministers led by then my
late wife Datuk Patinggi Laila
Taib, to ensure that Sarawak will not suffer much more because of our distance from Kuala Lumpur.

“We understood even in
those days that it was beyond the ability of the federal government to provide efficient services throughout Malaysia and we would like to see how we can play our role to get Sarawak not to be too far from wanting quality services because of our distance from Kuala Lumpur. Worse of all, the population in Sarawak is scattered over a very wide area in Malaysia’s biggest state,” he said.

He said the problem was not only to provide treatment but also to make sure that it was accessible to the people.

“Our concern was how to get people from the longhouses at the upriver areas of Sarawak, villages along the coastal areas who are subject to problems of tides and monsoon, to be able to get as much or as close as possible the treatment we can afford to give in the state.

“Thanks that today we have SGH Heart Centre and that is of course the result of the dedication of all parties concerned, not only the government but also people from the private sector,” he said.

He said on the part of SHF, its role was to compliment the official duties of the government and this suited very well with the nature of heart disease because heart disease by and large was the result of unhealthy life pattern.

“Because of that we try to encourage our young people to walk a lot. We also try to influence other associations to create as much activities as possible… physical activities that can make them more active to give their hearts in tip-top conditions,” he added.

On the centre, Taib said it would continue to grow and in the next 20 years or so it would transform into a booming area.

“I am sure the state government will love to see this happen and now that Sabati is better off and with its new energetic leadership in the person of Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu, they will be one of the best supporters of the heart centre, and to the people’s expectation,” he said.

Taib also had the honour to unveil the portrait of the late Datuk Amar Laila Taib as the first SHF chairman at the centre.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahya, Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and Jamilah were among guests at the function.