Dr Wan Azizah (left) visiting cancer patients and their family members at the children’s hospital in Kuala Lumpur. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
Foundation gives RM20,000 towards facilities and surgery costs
YAYASAN MyPrihatin has contributed RM20,000 to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Specialist Children’s Hospital (HPKK UKM) in Kuala Lumpur for its cancer patients.
The donation will be used by HPKK UKM to upgrade its facilities and pay for various other costs.
Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail along with Yayasan MyPrihatin chief executive Muhd Al-Bazli handed over the contribution to hospital director Datuk Dr Ismail Sagap.
Dr Wan Azizah said the contribution was a sign of care and concern for those affected.
“It is up to the hospital to decide how best to use the money.
“I was also told there was a slight increase in cancer cases,” she said.
She visited some of the cancer patients and their family members at the hospital.
Dr Wan Azizah expressed hope that there would be continued research towards better treatment outcomes.
“What we hope for is to improve the situation and conduct more research to identify the causes (of the increase in cancer) and how we can address them,” she said.
HPKK UKM deputy director (Medicine) Prof Dr Hamidah Alias said there was an increase in the number of cancer patients between 2012 and 2016 compared to between 2007 and 2011.
“In general, there was an increase of 5.2% in the number of reported cases of cancer among children and adolescents during that period (of 2012-2016),” she said.
Prof Hamidah added that the hospital hoped to address this issue soon, by conducting more research.
Also present during the ceremony were UKM pro vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid and Yayasan Kanser Malaysia chairman Sufyan Abu Bakar.
