Najib: Haves Should Help Care for Poor

By Noor Adzman Baharuddin; Tan Chew Chin

ALOR STAR: The haves should continue helping the government to care for the poor.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said with the help of wealthier Malaysians, the sufferings of the have-nots might be alleviated.

He said this when opening the RM2.2 million Al-Bukhary Dialysis Centre at the Al-bukhary Foundation Complex in Jalan Langgar here yesterday.

Najib also presented aid to 50 orphans, the needy and single mothers.

“Soon, patients who cannot afford dialysis treatment can count on the centre. Best of all, the services are free, with patients receiving the best treatment.”

Najib praised foundation chairman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al- Bukhary for his noble act in setting up the centre, describing it as a fulfilment of corporate social responsibility.

Present were Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and his wife Datin Seri Noraini Abdullah and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Najib called on other capable Malaysians to emulate Syed Mokhtar’s act.

“The effort complements the government’s call for more sharing and caring among Malaysians.”

Expected to be operational by year-end, the centre, the biggest to be set up by a non-governmental organisation, has 36 dialysis machines run by trained medical professionals.

Meanwhile, Dr Chua said of the 14,000 registered kidney patients, about 40 per cent depended on government clinics and hospitals for dialysis treatment, while another 30 per cent sought treatment at centres run by NGOs.

(c) 2007 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.