A THIRD Klinik Amal Percuma has been opened in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, marking the strategic expansion of free, community-based primary healthcare for economically disadvantaged households.
A collaboration between Maaedicare Charitable Foundation (YAM) and Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS), the Nilai clinic is a continuation of Maaedicare’s approach to care anchored in early detection, clinical rigour and continuity of treatment, according to the foundation’s press statement.
Since 2023, the model has already reached over 8,000 patients through its clinics in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh, Perak, many of whom presented with previously undiagnosed or poorly controlled chronic conditions.
YAM chief executive officer Anne Rajasaikaran said the Nilai community reflected the very populations the foundation was established to serve.
“Many of the patients who visit our clinics are living with silent conditions – hypertension, early diabetes – without knowing it,” she said at the launch.
“By the time they reach tertiary care, the disease has often progressed significantly.
“Our free clinics allow us to intervene earlier, detecting risk, initiating treatment and reducing the financial toxicity that too often causes families experiencing hardship to delay care until it is too late.
“In communities such as Nilai, those most at risk are often the least likely to seek care – not because of reluctance, but because each consultation carries a cost they cannot consistently absorb.
“Our clinics remove that barrier. What it provides is not just access, but dignity, continuity and the confidence for individuals to take control of their health.
“Reaching 8,176 patients through our first two clinics has validated this model.
“Nilai is the natural next step in scaling that impact.”
YAM chairman Tunku Datuk Yaacob Khyra said: “Access to healthcare alone is not enough – what matters is when and how care is delivered.
“By placing primary care directly within communities like Nilai, we are shifting the paradigm from reactive treatment to proactive health management.
“This is how we reduce the long-term national burden of chronic disease – by acting earlier, closer to the patient and with greater continuity,” he said.
Maaedicare as a non-governmental organisation was uniquely positioned to complement the public healthcare system, he added.
“Ultimately, this is about building a healthcare ecosystem that is not only accessible but resilient.”
Open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm on a walk-in basis, services at the free clinic include point-of-care screenings, chronic disease management and lifestyle counselling.
Additional Klinik Amal Percuma locations are currently in development.
The launch was attended by Tunku Temenggong Kedah Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, who is also MRCS national chairman, and MRCS secretary-general Datuk Danial Iskandar Abdul Rahman.
