Powertek aids kidney foundation

NST: Every year, more than 4,000 Malaysians are diagnosed with kidney failure. Some 22,000 are on dialysis and the number continues to rise.
Concerned about these alarming statistics, Powertek Bhd (Powertek) recently joined the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKF) to help save lives through education and early detection of kidney disease.
Powertek presented RM100,000 to NKF in support of its public education outreach programme.
The sponsorship will enable the NKF to conduct free health screenings at Felda settlements, smaller towns and rural areas in Malaysia, especially in the east coast and East Malaysia.
The funding commitment is for one year, till June next year, covering 34 screening sessions.
Powertek executive director and chief executive officer Dr Ong Peng Su said: "As part of our corporate social responsibility initiative, we are pleased to work with NKF to provide free screenings to ensure that needy communities receive the support and assistance required for good health."
NKF chief executive officer Chua Hong Wee said: "There is no cure for kidney disease. The only way to reduce the number of dialysis patients is through regular check-ups and educating the public on how they can prevent kidney disease."
NKF has conducted 10 sessions in rural areas such as Hulu Selangor, Kampung Kundur Tengah in Negri Sembilan, Felda settlements in Terengganu and Kuching, Sarawak.
The NKF LifeCheck Mobile Health screening programme was launched in 2008. It has screened more than 100,000 participants.
NKF has over 1,400 dialysis patients receiving subsidised treatments in 24 dialysis centres nationwide.