KOTA KINABALU, Oct 1 — It takes a lot of work and effort to organise a gala dinner.
After all, you have to make it worth a person’s time.
Especially if they are paying big bucks to attend.
Everything needs to be perfect, from the entertainment and food to the ambience.
It is more of a challenge when an organisation is having a gala dinner to raise funds to help the less fortunate.
For years, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) has been holding various functions to raise funds in order to keep on benefitting people living with HIV in the country.
It is best known for its classy Red Ribbon Gala where the highlight was the presentation of the Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award to a deserving individual or organisation.
The dinner has since been named the Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award Gala Dinner.
In trying to ensure that as many Malaysians living with HIV are helped, MAF recently spread its helping wings to Sabah when it held the Red Ribbon Kota Kinabalu Gala Dinner at the Hilton Kota Kinabalu.
The result? A total of RM290,000 was raised.
Held in collaboration with the state government, it was to aid the Sabah AIDS Awareness Group Association’s (SAGA) Health Access Programme (SHAPE).
The programme seeks to help people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses to get access to treatment.
Among the attendees were the Yang Dipertua Negeri’s wife Toh Puan Norlidah R.M. Jasni, MAF chairman Prof Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Sabah Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung and Sandakan MP Vivian Wong.
Wong also received an award for her father, the late Datuk Stephen Wong who was Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing prior to his death.
MAF executive director Jasmin Jalil said planning and executing the plan took them a year to carry out.
“It became easier once we had the state government on board,” he said.
“It was challenging because there is still not enough acceptance for people living with HIV in Sabah. This could be because there isn’t enough awareness on the disease.”
Jasmin added that he was even more determined to help when he visited Sandakan (where the programme is held) with SAGA’s president Dr Zaiton Yahaya and saw how bad things were.
“I was so sad when I saw the level of poverty in certain areas there. There were also public health issues,” he said.
“The situation there really spurred me to help. We had to do our best to help our fellow Malaysians.
“Imagine, you are already sick and not only have to worry about medication and treatment but how to get enough money in order to go to the clinic or hospital to get it.
“And that is just worrying about your disease. What about if you have a family to care for? We hope to ease the burden of some patients with the funds raised.”
What is SAGA and SHAPE?
While it was first helped people living with HIV, SAGA began to have patients with other chronic illnesses approach them for help.
There are now 63 patients being helped under SHAPE with 30 more on the waiting list.
Their illnesses include cancer, thalassemia, renal failure, coronary complications and haemophilia.
Recipients come from the rural regions of Sabah.
They normally receive up to RM150 to cover their expenses when they go for their medical appointments, treatment or follow up sessions at healthcare centres in the urban areas.
SAGA also holds peer-led support groups, workshops and counselling to empower them on the importance of adherence to treatment and taking care of one’s health.
It hopes to expand the programme to areas like Tawau, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna.
Ably helmed by Dr Zaiton, who made an impassioned plea during the dinner for help, SAGA looks set to be the link in helping to ensure that patients do not miss their appointments or medication.
Dr Adeeba, in her speech said that there were still barriers preventing people living with HIV from being treated while those at risk were not getting enough access to prevention.
“From stigma and discrimination to structural and socio-economic disparities, the reasons for these setbacks are as complicated as the disease itself,” she said.
She added that MAF had doubled its efforts and invested its own resources in Sabah as it valued the work being done by SAGA.
“This is in the hope that we can remove the last few barriers that still impede access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support towards achieving an AIDS-free generation,” she said.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, in his speech that was read out by Poon said it welcomed the work of non-governmental organisations that took on some of the responsibility to help people in terms of healthcare services.
“The work carried out by Saga is very meaningful because they help to improve the efficiency of our healthcare services,” he said.
“By referring rural patients to the clinics and hospitals – they are preserving the well-being of people and linking them to readily-available services that otherwise will go to waste if not fully utilised.”
He added that help given by SAGA helped patients return to normal health and regain their physical and mental strength after being successfully treated.
Malay Mail is a media partner for the event.
