ROMPIN: Malaysia’s good governance and best practices in providing infrastructure and facilities for healthcare has given the country a good standing internationally said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Hospitals built by the government and private sector have enabled healthcare providers in Malaysia to offer high end hospitals, especially private run hospitals, helping Malaysians to live longer.
“The live expectancy for women in the country has risen to 76 compared with men who rank three or four years lower. However, with good health practices and exercise many can live longer,” he said when officially opening the RM1.5 million Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN) Dialysis centre in Rompin at Pantai Hiburan, here yesterday.
The opening ceremony was also attended by YKN Board of Directors chairman Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abd Jalil and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob who is also the Pahang Barisan Nasional chairman.
Muhyiddin said a country whose people are healthy with a sound mind and physic can progress because the people would focus their mindset on development and how to develop the country. “If the health of the people is affected, we cannot think rationally, so how to develop the country,” he asked.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the government was willing to absorb huge costs to provide healthcare facilities and services to the people.
Muhyiddin said setting up the YKN Dialysis centre in Rompin was the best example to show that the government, through the welfare agencies involved, provide facilities for the people at their own area that probably lacked hospitals to provide such services.
“Dialysis centres set up by the ministry may not cater for the need of all the people and that is why many non governmental organisations are taking the initiative to set up such facilities,” he said.
Muhyiddin said he himself was involved in building a dialysis centre in Taman Titiwangsa through a welfare organisation and understood the difficulties faced by the people who needed such treatment, especially the poor.
“If they go to a private dialysis centre they may be charged RM200 to RM300 for every treatment and if they needed three treatments a week, it will certainly incur a high cost.
“Such a cost will be a big burden for average wage earners because such treatment is a long term treatment, not a one off thing. That is why we welcome this initiative,” he said. — Bernama