KUCHING: Kidney patients are encouraged to apply for the special aid worth RM4.6mln approved by the state government.
The special aid covers clinical assistance, including one-off installation of Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) at a maximum of RM3,000 per patient, and Erythropoietin (EPO) injection at a maximum of RM240 per patient.
Apart from that, it also includes haemodialysis treatment at a maximum of RM200 per patient for every treatment session or RM2,400 per month, and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) at a maximum of RM2,800 a month for a patient if there is no slot for haemodialysis treatment.
The special aid also covers supplementary assistance, namely placement of 30 new haemodialysis machines to replace old ones, including adding six new machines for Sarawak Heart Centre, transportation allowance of RM50 for each treatment session with priority for rural patients as well as one-off allowance of RM5,000 for the cost of accommodation and transportation for patients undergoing kidney transplant at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the special aid was open to 100 new kidney patients who needed it most starting this year.
“At present, the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS) has received 34 applications for the special aid but only two were approved,” she told the press in Petra Jaya today.
There is no age limit for an applicant. However, one must be Sarawakian having a MyKad ‘K’ (Sarawak) status and living in the state as well as not being a civil servant, government pensioner or Social Security Organisation contributor.
The applicant must also belong to B40 or M40 groups with income not exceeding RM1,020 per month or according to current poverty line and does not receive any treatment subsidy or transportation assistance from any government agencies, private sector and non-governmental organisations.
A recipient of other assistance but still require supplementary assistance such as transportation allowance can also apply for the special aid in which an evaluation will be done on case by case basis.
The application form can be obtained at any of the 31 JKMS branches in the state.
Also present at the press conference were the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Saadiah Abdul Samat and Sarawak General Hospital consultant nephrologist Dr Clare Tan.
