1. Active Sportsman, Chuah Seong Ban

For Chuah Seong Ban, 44 years, dialysis is still an activity he has to get used to. With a family history of kidney problems, Chuah’s father passed away with stones in the kidney, and with an elder sister who underwent a kidney transplant, Chuah accepts that he has to plan for his future.

Currently, he works as an electrical engineer and spoke of the support given by his firm. “My firm pays for my dialysis and understands that it is three times a week; I am allowed time off from my office to attend the dialysis sessions. Having started off work in the engineering firm and being active in sports, it came as an initial shock to Chuah when his lifestyle had to change to adapt to his dialysis thrice weekly.

As one of the pioneers of the office Sports Club, Chuah handed over the leadership to other colleagues.

“These days I play games thrice weekly, badminton, basketball and jog as well,” said Chuah.

What Chuah feels puzzled about is the sudden onset of the disease with no symptoms.

“At first I just started feeling uncomfortable, then I could not sleep at night and finally when I returned to my hometown, I experienced immediate failure of my kidneys to function and had to be dialysed almost immediately,” added Chuah, something he was quite unprepared for.

These days, Chuah does not feel different any more, and he has taken things in his stride. His days are filled with activities and says family support is important as his mother cooks for him on most days and he minimises his nights out to focus on sports.

2. NKF Subsidises Hard Core Poor Patients

Being hard-core poor and with end stage kidney failure do not always lead to a path of no return. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) opens its doors to these unfortunate people who come from one of these categories:- jobless, no family support and living alone or with friends/relatives. Apart from the Ministry of Health contributing RM50 subsidy per dialysis treatment, NKF pays for the balance of the outstanding costs in dialysis.

Amongst these patients are two men and a woman in their 60’s, who are dialyzing in Pusat Dialisis NKF-Kelab Apex (Klang) and are fully appreciative of the work undertaken by NKF.

65 year old Mr. Josbir Singh said, “NKF is good. They help people especially the hard-core poor. There is no discrimination between paying patients and those who get free”.

Added Mr. Maruthai a/l Sappany, “I have been well looked after. When I am hungry, they give a drink and biscuits. When I am not okay, they are around to see that I am awake and responding”.

NKF is greatly heartened by the words of Madam Muniamah a/p Ramon who has been dialyzing for the past 4 years and who testified, “NKF understands my predicament and after studying my situation has offered me the hard-core poor subsidy. The staff are excellent and they give good treatment”.