KUCHING: The Sarawak government has approved an allocation to purchase six new haemodialysis machines for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to cater for kidney patients in the state.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the distribution of the machines would be managed by Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) consultant nephrologist Dr Clare Tan.
“Each machine would cost about RM40,000 so the total sum would be about RM240,000,” she told the press at the JKMS building in Petra Jaya today.
The purchase of the machines was part of supplementary assistance under the state government’s Kidney Patients Special Aid worth RM4.6 mln.
The allocations will cover annual distribution of haemodialysis machines, emolument for contract appointment officers and treatment for patients.
At present, Sarawak has a total of 45 haemodialysis centres with 25 of them owned by the MOH, 11 by private sector and nine by non-governmental organisations.
Apart from that, Fatimah also said there were currently four mini haemodialysis facilities in health clinics in the rural areas namely Song, Debak, Tatau and Batu Niah.
“These haemodialysis facilities are based on needs and looking at the transportation and coverage suitability,” she said.
Fatimah also said in order for the placement of facility to be realised, it must first acquire the approval of the MOH as it involved space and medical staff to assist in managing the facilities.
“Apart from that, we also encouraged the contribution by the corporate sector in donating the dialysis machines, and we have four mini centres so far,” she elaborated.
At the same time, Dr Tan also revealed that there was a proposal to establish a haemodialysis facility in Selangau next year.
