KUCHING: Interhill Group has taken a significant step towards community welfare by contributing 190 wheelchairs to enhance healthcare facilities in Sarawak. This commendable initiative is part of the group’s annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) program and aims to support 10 government hospitals across Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, and Sibu divisions.
The symbolic handover ceremony took place in the presence of Kho Teck Wan, Political Secretary to the Premier, who represented Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, serving as the Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government.
Interhill Group Director Rogina Hu emphasized that the donation was a response to the pressing needs communicated by the State Health Department (JKNS). Many hospitals were facing challenges with worn-out wheelchairs, necessitating timely intervention.
“When we discovered through our communication with JKNS that our government hospitals needed more wheelchairs to accommodate the number of patients they serve, we knew we had to play a part in helping to ease the burden on the hospitals. Hence, our group is deeply honoured to contribute 190 wheelchairs to 10 hospitals in the Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, and Sibu Divisions. We hope that these wheelchairs can assist these hospitals in some way,” she said during the symbolic handover event at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) on December 14.
Dr. Azlee Ayub, JKNS Deputy Director, present to represent JKNS Director Dr. Ooi Choo Huck, expressed profound gratitude for the pivotal role played by Interhill Group. He mentioned that SGH, as the lead hospital for the Sarawak Southern Cluster Hospital, would allocate the donated wheelchairs to various healthcare facilities, including Sarawak Heart Centre (IJN), Sentosa Hospital, RCBM Hospital, Bau Hospital, Serian Hospital, Lundu Hospital, and Simunjan Hospital.
“With these wheelchairs, we hope they can benefit the community, especially the patients at Southern Cluster Hospital,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kho emphasised the vital role played by the private sector, especially during the challenging times of the pandemic. She acknowledged that the private sector has been crucial in increasing the state’s vaccination rates and bolstering diagnostic capabilities with additional PCR test equipment. This partnership has significantly reduced the turnaround time for COVID-19 test results.
“Previously, tests had to be sent to West Malaysia, taking more than a week for results to be available. During the pandemic, we are trying our very best, and the private sector has tremendously helped avoid the collapse of our healthcare system. That is one of the biggest contributors we can see,” she said.
In light of this, Kho appealed to other corporations to prioritize healthcare in their CSR programs, recognizing its paramount importance in sustaining community well-being. Hu further expressed the group’s commitment to societal well-being, stating that helping and supporting local communities are deeply ingrained in the group’s values.
She fondly reminisced about her late father, Datuk Hu Chang Pee, and the indelible life lessons he imparted to their family. Hu shared that her father vividly painted a picture of his struggles for necessities during his poverty-stricken childhood, where even sharing a bottle of soda during Chinese New Year was a rare luxury. These experiences deeply impacted her father, who called for a sense of responsibility towards society, and these values have become guiding principles for her and the group.
“These values were, are, and will continue to be the driving force behind our passion to give back to our communities, as well as our inspiration in creating various corporate responsibility programs throughout the years, such as the Interhill Education Initiative, Interhill Healthcare Initiative, and various other ad hoc initiative programs. In everything we do, we always ask ourselves whether it benefits our communities. We try to involve our communities in some way, hoping to make a difference in their lives, and staying true to the words of wisdom from our founder. This is the Interhill culture,” said Hu.
She expressed that the group is deeply honoured by the opportunity to assist and aims to further intensify its efforts in corporate responsibility. They also aim to enhance the quality of life in communities by actively engaging with various stakeholders.
“As we move forward, we aim to step up our efforts in corporate responsibility and hope to collaborate with relevant parties, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), ministries and departments, and other entities, to improve the quality of life in our communities. We believe that if our communities are well, we are well too,” she asserted.
