MELAKA, Feb 20: The National Welfare Foundation’s (YKN) Better Brighter Anjung Kasih at the Melaka Hospital, which receives corporate sponsorship totalling RM1.18 million from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), has begun operation today to provide free accommodation for patients’ family members.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said the 13th Anjung Kasih facility aimed to alleviate the financial and emotional burden faced by family members, especially from the B40 groups, who live far from the hospital and need to commute to take care of the patients.
She said the premises also benefit the frontliners who have to always be prepared to carry out ad-hoc duties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Better Brighter Anjung Kasih YKN at Melaka Hospital is the second sponsorship by TNB after the Anjung Kasih at the Serdang Hospital, and this facility is established to provide comfortable temporary accommodation for those in need.
“From 2006 until December last year, all 12 Anjung Kasih facilities in government hospitals nationwide have benefitted a total of 79,282 residents,” she told reporters after visiting the Melaka Hospital’s Better Brighter Anjung Kasih YKN here, today.
Rina also presented the Anjung Kasih key replica to Melaka Health Director Datuk Dr Ismail Ali in a ceremony witnessed by the state Health and Anti-Drug Exco Datuk Rahmad Mariman dan Melaka TNB’s retail chief Ir Khairizam Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, Rina said three more Anjung Kasih namely at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sabah, Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor and Seberang Jaya Hospital in Penang would be opened in stages by the end of this year.
She added that three corporate companies, namely TNB, Petronas and Sunway Group have sponsored the construction of five Anjung Kasih between 2018 and 2020.
“We welcome more corporate or private companies to sponsor the construction of more Anjung Kasih in the country and tax exemption will be provided under Subsection 44(6) of the Income Tax Act 1967,” she said.
She said donations could be channelled to YKN’s Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad account (160140010004801) or Maybank Islamic Bank Berhad (568621012284).
The Better Brighter Anjung Kasih YKN in Melaka Hospital is equipped with male and female dormitories and family rooms comprising 64 beds, registration area, counselling room, bathrooms, toilets, surau, dining area as well as a laundry area.- Bernama
