Tiang, flanked by Dr Nurnazarina and Choo, performs a symbolic watering of plants to officiate the event in Unimas.
KOTA SAMARAHAN (May 10): More than 30 new haemodialysis machines worth RM1.2 million will be distributed to various government hospitals in Sarawak this year under the special aid for kidney patients initiative, said Datuk Michael Tiang.
The State Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government said the additional machines would be scheduled for hospitals in Miri, Bintulu, Mukah and Sarikei as part of the state’s government’s efforts of ensuring uninterrupted treatment for kidney patients.
“The Sarawak government supports federal hospitals by supplying essential machinery, ensuring uninterrupted care.
“These include the distribution of over 30 new haemodialysis machines to various government hospitals,” he said when officiating at the Sarawak State Word Kidney Day 2026 celebration in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) here yesterday.
According to Tiang, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasing public health concern in Malaysia, with the number of patients continuing to rise each year.
“The prevalence of CKD increased from 9.07 per cent in 2011 to 15.48 per cent in 2018.
“One in six Malaysian adults may be living with kidney disease, many of whom may not be aware of their condition.
“In Sarawak alone, 700 to 800 new kidney disease cases are recorded annually and currently, more than 4,800 patients are undergoing dialysis,” he said.
Tiang added that the state government, through the Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, had intensified efforts to build an accessible, affordable and high-quality healthcare ecosystem to ease the burden on CKD patients, especially those from the lower and middle-income groups.
He said Sarawak had allocated RM4 million this year for the ‘Bantuan Pesakit Buah Pinggang’ (Kidney Patients Assistance) programme to help end-stage renal failure patients cope with dialysis treatment costs.
“Since 2020, over RM14 million has been spent on supporting 812 kidney patients, covering costs for vascular access procedures, haemodialysis treatments and transport,” he said.
The state deputy minister added that the state government also provided a transport allowance of RM50 per session for patients travelling long distances to rural treatment centres.
He said collaboration with non-governmental organisations such as the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) had enabled the state government to identify CKD patients and channel the necessary assistance to improve their quality of life.
“With the expansive progress in kidney healthcare technology, the state government remains steadfast in supporting the federal government’s initiatives in providing equal and accessible healthcare to all Malaysians,” added Tiang.
Also present were NKF Malaysia chief executive officer Choo Kok Ming and Unimas Medical Centre head Dr Nurnazarina Mahriff.
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