Cardiac facilities in Sabah will give positive impact to heart patients

KOTA KINABALU: The setting up of cardiac facilities in Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 (QEH1) and Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital will have a positive impact to the heart patients in this state, said Sabah For Society Heart Fund (SOSHF) president Datuk Christine Vanhouten.
SOSHF is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which gives financial aid for underpriviledged members of the community with heart diseases.
Vanhouten said the development of the cardiothoracic department in both general and private hospitals has given overwhelming hope for the local people, particularly for heart patients, as the facilities are now available nearer to home.
"In the earlier years, our patients were sent to Singapore, Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur, Penang Adventist Hospital, Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur, Philippines and even Australia.
"As the years went by, the cost of flying went up and the cost of surgery and treatment also went up. However, the development of cardiac facility now in QEH1 and Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital is indeed a very positive situation," she said in her speech at Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital's 2nd Anniversary here today.
The event was attended by Assistant Minister at the Chief Minister's Department Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman while the CEO of Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital Jean Francois Naa was also present.
Vanhouten said, to date, the society had assisted and improved the lives of 636 people with heart diseases and of these, most of the patients were children, with the youngest being two months old and the oldest, 71 years old.
This year, the society intend to send 17 more patients for surgery and out of this, already five patients have been sent since January 2017, she added.
During the event, Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu Hospital held a fund-rising event in support of the SOSHF as part of its efforts to give back to the community since the hospital also has been working closely with SOSHF to provide treatment for paediatric surgery cases with the first case done in November last year. — Bernama