Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah
KUCHING: There are an estimated 250 new kidney patients in Sarawak each year, while more than 10 per cent of patients undergoing dialysis treatment die every year, said Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
Speaking during the presentation of special aid worth RM17,556 to kidney patient Muhd Nur-Afiq Rambli at the state Welfare Department head office here yesterday, Fatimah said 34 kidney patients had applied to the state government for the special aid.
“Of these applications which were received at various divisional welfare offices, two were approved while four others sent to the head office for approval.
“Of the 34, Miri had the highest number of applications at 20 followed by Sibu and Kuching with six and four respectively, and Sri Aman and Sarikei with two each,” she said.
According to Fatimah, four types of assistance for kidney patients have been proposed, namely clinical aid, hemodialysis machine aid, transport aid of RM50, and a one-off transplant aid of RM5,000.
The proposed clinical aid comprises fixing of Arteriovenous Fistula (VF) at a maximum of RM3,000 (one-off) per patient; Erythropoietin (EPO) injection at a maximum of RM240 a month per patient; and hemodialysis treatment aid at maximum of RM200 for each session or RM2,400 a month; or Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) at a maximum of RM2,800 a month, she said.
“For the RM50 transport aid, it is especially for patients from rural areas, while the one-off transplant aid of RM5,000 is to support kidney patients who undergo follow-up treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a period of two months,” she added.
Fatimah also said six new hemodialysis machines would replace the existing old ones at the Sarawak Heart Centre.
She pointed out that these assistances would be meant for all those eligible be they from urban or rural areas, but that they must be Sarawakians with identity card of ‘K’ status.
“They must not be public servants, pensioners and Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributors.
“The assistances are meant for the B40 and M40 group with income per capita not exceeding RM1,020 a month or based on the current poverty threshold.”
Fatimah added that applicants should also not be currently receiving treatment subsidy or transport aid from other government agencies, private sector or non-governmental organisations (NGOs).