(From left) Lee, Jurip, Kassim and others visit a patient whose treatment is being subsidised by the Ministry of Health.
MIRI: The Ministry of Health Malaysia has agreed in principal to increase its quantum of subsidy for deserving dialysis patients.
The ministry’s Financial Division Assistance Unit senior principal assistant secretary Kassim Leman said this after a request from the Miri Kidney Dialysis Centre.
“We actually have received such an application from the centre but a decision could not be made because we are not clear with the centre’s situation. That’s why I’m here to get a clearer picture on the subsidy funding to the patients,” he told the media after checking out the centre at Malaysia Red Crescent (MRC) Miri Chapter yesterday.
Kassim was informed at a briefing that about 125 patients had their dialysis subsidised by the ministry from 1996 until today. The session was chaired by Communications Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who is also chairman of the centre,
“The subsidy from the ministry only covers 25 per cent of the total treatment cost so we are hoping the ministry can increase the subsidy as most of these patients cannot afford the remaining treatment cost even when the centre charges a minimal fee,” Lee said.
After taking into account the economic background of the patients, Kassim agreed with Lee that the ministry should increase its subsidy.
He thanked the public, corporate sector and NGOs for their support and for their sponsorship of the centre which helped it run smoothly.
Kassim was impressed that the centre was well-equipped and the facilities up-to-date, comparable to those of a government hospital.
He said people in the city should be thankful for the centre which complemented the dialysis treatment service offered by Miri Hospital.
Present were MRC Miri Chapter’s second vice-chairman Datin Judy Wan Morshidi and the centre’s chief operating officer Jurip Ngaop.