KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Buah Pinggang Sabah will receive RM100,000 in special government aid to support its efforts in helping kidney patients.
Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the aid will be given in two stages, with RM50,000 disbursed first and the remainder released at a later stage.
Masidi announced the aid when attending the foundation’s Hari Raya celebration.
He said kidney disease should not be taken lightly, as many patients still depend on haemodialysis treatment to survive.
He said Sabah currently has about 460 haemodialysis machines in public hospitals serving around 2,400 patients, meaning one machine is shared by about five patients.
He said the figure reflects not only the strain on healthcare services but also the burden faced by patients, especially those who have to travel far for treatment.
He called on the foundation to be more proactive in expanding haemodialysis services to areas still lacking such facilities.
He urged Sabahans to take better care of their health as kidney disease continues to affect more families in the state. – Wu Vuide
Masidi (fifth left), and guests at the kidney foundation Hari Raya event.
