Kota Kinabalu is strategically located in Borneo for setting up a congenital heart defect (CHD) centre, said Society for the Sabah Heart Fund (SOSHF).

Its president, Datuk Eva Susau, said the centre could be set up at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Two, University Malaysia Sabah or other private medical centres.

She made the call when meeting a team from the National Heart Institute (IJN) who visited Kota Kinabalu on February 18.

The team of three from IJN were Dr Hasri Bin Samion, Chief Clinical Officer/Senior Consultant Pediatric Cardiologist), Dr Leong Ming Chern (Deputy Head of Pediatric/Congenital Heart Centre), and Esther Chong Pi Hsueh (Account Specialist, Marketing & Medical Tourism).

Together with Eva during the meeting was the Society’s consultant cardiologist and head of Sabah paediatrics cardiologist, Dr Siva Rao.

Eva said SOSHF had been drumming for a long time to have a Children Heart Centre in Sabah, so that the people do not have to travel far to seek medical treatment.

Since its establishment in 1981, SOSHF has sent 702 patients for corrective heart surgeries and many of the sponsored patients are living a normal life.

“I believe Sabah will lead the way for the CHD Medical Centre for Malaysia and Borneo,” she said.

During the informal visit, much thoughts and concerns for the wellbeing for the congenital heart disease patients were expressed and where both institutions hope to achieve better quality living for the people with congenital heart disease in Sabah.

The Society would like IJN  send their specialist team  to Sabah to help more for patients with congenital heart defect and disease.

Eva also encouraged IJN to expand to Sabah, to provide better health services and transfer know-how to the medical team here.

“Based on the statistic probability of 1% of children with congenital heart defect in every 100 and with the population of Sabah of 3.8 million, probably we have around 38,000 people in Sabah with CHD,” she said.

Patients from Lawas, Sarawak also  find it nearer to seek medical help in Sabah due to the logistic.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by THE BORNEO POST

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