BY JACQUELINE DAVID
KUCHING: Sarawakian senior citizens who are eligible to receive the free medical treatment of up to RM500 annually under the Senior Citizen Health Benefits (SCHB) initiative are advised to utilize it for health screening and not to wait until the last minute when they are very ill, said Mayor of Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Datuk Wee Hong Seng.
“Do your health screening immediately if you have already gotten the SCHB so that any illnesses can be diagnosed early and can be cured,” he said when speaking at the Bee Caring Health Screening and Seminar attended by more than 100 people at the Kenyalang Community Association Recreation Centre (KCARC) here yesterday.
“With the advancement of technologies nowadays, people can live longer. When you have a longer life span you must be healthy,” he remarked.
Wee explained that as Sarawak is moving towards becoming a developed state by 2030, its citizens needed to be healthy as well as smart.
“We need a strong community movement to create awareness to share the benefit of health screening.
“These days, not only the older people get sick more often, but the young people will also experience the same vulnerabilities,” he said.
He cautioned that by the year 2028, Sarawak will be the first state in Malaysia to reach the aging city status, which is two years earlier than any other West Malaysian states, hence Sarawak need to be prepared.
“When you reach the aging group, health is a concern, like a car spare part, that sometimes needed to be serviced, which we call health screening.
“You should do a blood test once a year, if you can afford it twice a year. There are a lot of packages nowadays, and it is reasonably priced. With the SCHB, it is subsidised, so make full use of it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) Clinical Head, Dr. Alina Ali said, in conjunction with the World Contraception Day (WCD) that takes place on Sept 26 every year, patients in Sarawak, who are under the B40 group are able to get their Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD), Implanon and other contraceptive medical treatment and device for free, which is available at the LPPKN Klinik Nur Sejatera at Satok.
“Patients who are under the B40 category and anyone else, who come to our clinic, we will have a discussion on what type of treatment you need to be subscribed to, and it is given for free.
“This Sept month we are giving free contraceptive medical treatment or otherwise it will be sold at affordable prices as compared to the private clinics. Like in LPPKN, the price of IUCD is RM110 for five years, and Implano at RM500 for three years,” she said.
