Yeo (fifth right), Sia (second left) and Tee (left) join the staff of Bintulu Dialysis Centre and representatives of the main contractor in a photo-call at the Bintulu Haemodialysis Centre project site.
BINTULU: Works on the new building for Bintulu Haemodialysis Centre should reach completion the latest by this April, and the centre should be ready for operation either in May or early June this year.
According to Yayasan St John Ambulance of Malaysia (SJAM) Kawasan Pantai Selangor chief operating officer Dato’ Yeo Kim Thong, this new centre will be equipped with 100 machines to cater to kidney patients from the low and middle-income groups.
“Once it is operational, the Bintulu Haemodialysis Centre will be the biggest among our 13 centres in the country, followed by Sibu. We will start with 50 machines, along with additional dialysis-related equipment that is needed,” he told reporters after visiting the project site yesterday, with Paling Group of Companies managing director Datuk Sia Hiong Ngee and SJAM Kawasan Pantai Selangor senior manager (haemodialysis) Tee Khay Sing also present.
Works on the two-story building of Bintulu Haemodialysis Centre should reach completion very soon, says Yeo.
Adding on, Yeo also appealed to the public and also those from the corporate sector to contribute to the centre, for the benefit of local kidney patients.
“We totally rely on donations to support in acquiring the dialysis machines and RO (reverse osmosis) water system, as well as in covering maintenance expenditure,” he said, adding that donations made payable ‘St John Ambulance Malaysia-Kawasan Pantai Selangor’ are tax-exempted.
Meanwhile, Yeo said SJAM would invite Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to officiate at the opening ceremony, as well as donors who contributed more than RM50,000 to the project.
“These donors will be presented with certificates of appreciation.”
It is learnt that SJAM-Kawasan Pantai Selangor began its haemodialysis service in Klang, Selangor in late 1993, with just two dialysis machines.
One of the dialysis machines at the existing centre along Jalan Durian Laut in Tanjung Batu Commercial Centre in Bintulu.
“Today we operate 13 haemodialysis centres in Sarawak, Perak and Selangor, having over 230 dialysis machines and taking care of 680 patients on dialysis – with more on the waiting list,” Yeo said.
The first dialysis centre in Sarawak was set up in Sibu on May 1, 2006 with 10 machines then – today, the Sibu centre has 60 dialysis machines.
“In Bintulu, we started the dialysis service with 13 machines. Currently, we take care of about 70 patients at our premises occupying three shoplots, which we have been renting from Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) since Feb 1, 2017. It’s managed by 19 staff members,” said Yeo.
He was confident that the present dialysis centre should be able to achieve at least 100 patients by end of this year. On the new centre, Yeo said due to the increase in local demand for the service, the SJAM approached BDA in 2014 to seek help in acquiring a piece of land.
“With strong support and recommendation, the state government approved a 1.3-acre land in 2016 and by late-2017, the architectural plan was approved by BDA. Construction commenced in early 2018, undertaken by Paling Construction Sdn Bhd. The progress of works is currently at 80 per cent.”
Meanwhile in his remarks, Sia also called upon the public to contribute towards the purchase of the supporting medical equipment to ensure smooth operations of the dialysis centre up to its fullest capacity.
For further enquiries, contact Yeo at 019-260 2222, or the Bintulu Dialysis Centre (086-310 917).