State Government contributes 100 haemodialysis machines
Published on: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Published on: Sat, Jun 14, 2025
By: Diana Liu Text Size: The haemodialysis machines. Kota Kinabalu: The State Government, through the Community Development and People's Wellbeing Ministry (KPMKR), has supplied 100 haemodialysis machines to government hospitals and clinics across the State. The contributions, provided under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 'Sabah Sejahtera' Health Assistance Scheme, was fully funded by the Sabah Government through an allocation approved by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, to improve dialysis treatment access for kidney patients state-wide.
Advertisement The RM8.5 million allocation covers RM4 million for treatment subsidies and RM4.5 million for equipment procurement, aimed at easing the burden of end-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients, especially from low-income groups. State Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib said the State Government has exempted dialysis patients from treatment fees. 'Patients undergoing home-based treatment or via Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) will receive a monthly assistance of RM100,' he said after the handing over ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II. Also present were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Sabah Health Department Director Dr Maria Suleiman and others. As of now, there are 25 government facilities (23 hospitals, two clinics) offering dialysis services in Sabah, with five specialist hospitals also providing CAPD. According to James, the number of ESRF patients in government facilities has increased from 1,831 in 2020 to 2,133 in 2024, necessitating expanded dialysis services. 'Currently, Sabah has 474 haemodialysis machines, but only 435 are functional, while 39 units are damaged. The new machines will help address this gap, improve service quality and replace outdated equipment. 'The new machines are equipped with modern filtration technology, touchscreen interfaces, digital monitoring, energy-efficient systems and come with at least one year of warranty and maintenance service,' he said. James reaffirmed the State's commitment to providing accessible and quality healthcare in line with the aspirations of Malaysia Prihatin and Sabah Maju Jaya. Meanwhile, Dr Dzulkefly said the contribution is timely and critical to meet the increasing need for haemodialysis in Sabah. On another note, Dr Dzulkefly said discussions with the Chief Minister also focused on key issues under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). He said five technical committees have been formed, and detailed plans, recommendations, as well as proposals from the committees have already been presented in meetings and are being seriously considered, with feedback received from his own department. 'Looking ahead, there is also a proposal for an application of nearly RM4 billion for the year 2030. 'We want to carry out a swift and effective catch-up to improve and fill the gaps in service delivery at all hospitals. All of this is very important to ensure that the delivery and treatment of the healthcare system in Sabah can be further improved,' he said. Responding to a question regarding the Putrajaya's proposal to freeze rural allowances for doctors serving in remote areas, Dr Dzulkefly said the matter has been raised and is being taken into serious consideration. He said the issue and related agenda would be brought up for further review and follow-up at the upcoming post-Cabinet meeting. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
16 hours ago
- Daily Express
State Government contributes 100 haemodialysis machines
Published on: Saturday, June 14, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 14, 2025 By: Diana Liu Text Size: The haemodialysis machines. Kota Kinabalu: The State Government, through the Community Development and People's Wellbeing Ministry (KPMKR), has supplied 100 haemodialysis machines to government hospitals and clinics across the State. The contributions, provided under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 'Sabah Sejahtera' Health Assistance Scheme, was fully funded by the Sabah Government through an allocation approved by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, to improve dialysis treatment access for kidney patients state-wide. Advertisement The RM8.5 million allocation covers RM4 million for treatment subsidies and RM4.5 million for equipment procurement, aimed at easing the burden of end-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients, especially from low-income groups. State Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib said the State Government has exempted dialysis patients from treatment fees. 'Patients undergoing home-based treatment or via Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) will receive a monthly assistance of RM100,' he said after the handing over ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II. Also present were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Sabah Health Department Director Dr Maria Suleiman and others. As of now, there are 25 government facilities (23 hospitals, two clinics) offering dialysis services in Sabah, with five specialist hospitals also providing CAPD. According to James, the number of ESRF patients in government facilities has increased from 1,831 in 2020 to 2,133 in 2024, necessitating expanded dialysis services. 'Currently, Sabah has 474 haemodialysis machines, but only 435 are functional, while 39 units are damaged. The new machines will help address this gap, improve service quality and replace outdated equipment. 'The new machines are equipped with modern filtration technology, touchscreen interfaces, digital monitoring, energy-efficient systems and come with at least one year of warranty and maintenance service,' he said. James reaffirmed the State's commitment to providing accessible and quality healthcare in line with the aspirations of Malaysia Prihatin and Sabah Maju Jaya. Meanwhile, Dr Dzulkefly said the contribution is timely and critical to meet the increasing need for haemodialysis in Sabah. On another note, Dr Dzulkefly said discussions with the Chief Minister also focused on key issues under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). He said five technical committees have been formed, and detailed plans, recommendations, as well as proposals from the committees have already been presented in meetings and are being seriously considered, with feedback received from his own department. 'Looking ahead, there is also a proposal for an application of nearly RM4 billion for the year 2030. 'We want to carry out a swift and effective catch-up to improve and fill the gaps in service delivery at all hospitals. All of this is very important to ensure that the delivery and treatment of the healthcare system in Sabah can be further improved,' he said. Responding to a question regarding the Putrajaya's proposal to freeze rural allowances for doctors serving in remote areas, Dr Dzulkefly said the matter has been raised and is being taken into serious consideration. He said the issue and related agenda would be brought up for further review and follow-up at the upcoming post-Cabinet meeting. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Dzulkefly: Govt may exempt Sabah, Sarawak doctors from rural allowance freeze
KOTA KINABALU: The Health Ministry will consider exempting medical doctors in Sabah and Sarawak from the freeze on rural allowances. Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, said the issue would be raised at the upcoming cabinet meeting. The freeze was implemented following the tabling of Budget 2025 as part of the Finance Ministry's fiscal consolidation strategy. "This issue was raised during my visit here, and we have taken it very seriously. "We will table the matter at the Cabinet meeting and examine it thoroughly," he said during the handover of 100 haemodialysis machines from the Sabah government to the Health Ministry at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II today. He was responding to concerns raised by Sabah Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib yesterday. James had warned that the freeze could discourage contract doctors from renewing their service in remote parts of Sabah, especially given the lack of basic infrastructure in rural areas compared to urban centres. There are currently about 4,000 government doctors serving in the state. Earlier, Dr Dzulkefly said the haemodialysis machines were urgently needed to boost treatment capacity in public health facilities across Sabah. The number of end-stage renal failure patients seeking treatment at government facilities in the state has increased from 1,831 in 2020 to 2,133 in 2024. At present, Sabah has 474 haemodialysis machines; of these, only 435 are operational, while 39 are damaged. The Sabah government has allocated RM8.5 million, including RM4.5 million for the procurement of the machines. Patients will be exempted from the RM13 fee for using the machines, while those undergoing home-based treatment via the Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) method will receive a RM100 subsidy from the state government.
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Borneo Post
MoU to boost cancer care in Sabah
Dr Dzulkefly speaking to the media. KOTA KINABALU (June 12): A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Cancer Research Malaysia (CRM) and six hospitals in Sabah today to enhance cancer treatment and support services under the Pink Ribbon Programme, also known as the Enhanced Patient Navigation Programme. Federal Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who witnessed the signing, said the hospitals involved are the Women and Children's Hospital, Tawau Hospital, Duchess of Kent Hospital, Keningau Hospital, Beaufort Hospital and Kota Marudu Hospital. He described the programme as a major step forward in patient care, offering a system where cancer patients are continuously guided and monitored throughout their treatment journey. 'I was informed that the default rate used to be around 20%, but now it is almost zero, which means patients are complying with treatment and returning for follow-ups. This is an achievement we can be proud of,' Dr Dzulkefly told reporters at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II. He was present for the handing-over ceremony of 100 hemodialysis machines from the Sabah Government, represented by Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib, who is also responsible for health matters in the state. Dr Dzulkefly emphasized that the Pink Ribbon initiative goes beyond standard navigation systems, calling it an 'enhanced' service that has delivered excellent outcomes in preventing patients from defaulting on their treatments. In a separate development, Dr Dzulkefly also briefed the media on his earlier meeting with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor. Describing it as a meaningful engagement, he said the discussion focused on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and included an explanation of five sub-committees addressing related issues. 'We presented our plans, recommendations, and proposals in detail, which were received by the Ministry of Health in Putrajaya and my ministry. One of the proposals includes a funding allocation of nearly RM4 billion for the year 2030,' he said. The goal, he added, is to close service delivery gaps across all 23 to 24 government hospitals in Sabah. He also revealed that discussions were held about lifting the freeze on rural doctors' allowances in Sabah and Sarawak. 'That issue was raised, and we are taking it seriously. We will table it at the upcoming post-cabinet meeting for further discussion and follow-up. I'm confident it will be given due consideration,' he said. In addition, Dr Dzulkefly addressed developments concerning the proposed upgrade of the Heart Centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II. He confirmed that preliminary work has begun, and discussions are ongoing, including land matters raised by the Chief Minister. 'We still have several key objectives to meet, but we are committed to doing our best, God willing,' he said.
