SERDANG, Sept 28 — Three more ‘Anjung Kasih’ are to be provided next year to increase to 14 these free accommodation facility at hospitals for the use of the deserving next-of-kin of patients, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.
The latest Anjung Kasih facilities will be built at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar, Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru and the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, said Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister.
“The responsibility of taking care of patients at hospitals can be financially acute for some next-of-kin who will then have to resort to sleeping in the lobby of the hospitals. Realising this predicament, the government offers the free accommodation to enable these people to be comfortable when taking care of their ailing relatives,” she said when opening the ‘Better Brighter Anjung Kasih YKN @ Serdang Hospital’ here. YKN is the National Welfare Foundation.
Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Chen Chaw Min and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie were also present at the event. The Serdang Hospital Anjung Kasih project is a collaboration between YKN and TNB, which is meeting the cost of upgrading the building and maintenance for the next five years.
Dr Wan Azizah said the Anjung Kasih facility is also available at eight other hospitals, namely the Selayang Hospital (Selangor); Sultan Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh and Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan (Pahang); Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh (Perak); Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban (Negri Sembilan); Sibu Hospital; Kuching General Hospital and Miri Hospital (Sarawak).
He said the asset declaration form is easy to complete and does not take much time to do so because it is only necessary to fill in certain details such as residential property, vehicle and other assets.
“I hope the process can be expedited over the next two weeks because it is a simple form. The assets have to be declared in keeping with the pledge,” he said.
After Oct 15, once the list of the declaration of assets has been put on display, we will know who has yet to declare their assets although no legal action can be taken against them,” he said.
He said that as of now, only a few Cabinet ministers and MPs have declared their assets. — Bernama
