KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — The Social Welfare Department (JKM) channelled over RM600 million to help 166,028 disabled people, chronic patients and senior citizens last year.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh said they were assisted via two financial assistance schemes, namely Senior Citizens and Chronic Patient Care and Disabled People (PWD)
She said the SWD also provided transport and other facilities to senior citizens to get their medical check-ups and treatment at hospitals or health clinics through the Senior Citizens’ Caring Unit (SCCU) with 2,262 senior citizens benefiting from the programme in 2018.
“In addition, the Home Help Service (HHS) is also being implemented to improve the well-being of senior citizens and the disabled,” she said during the Dewan Rakyat sitting here, today.
She was responding to a question by Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PH-Masjid Tanah) who wished to know the government’s initiatives to help the poor, single mothers and senior citizens who had no income, for receive special treatments such as haemodialysis.
Yeoh said that up to December 2018, a total of 8,994 households — 7,135 elderly and 1,859 PWDs — had received the HHS services implemented by the SWD.
Meanwhile, she said the ministry, through the National Welfare Foundation (NWF) had allocated about RM4 million to finance dialysis treatment for selected kidney patients throughout the country each year.
“All the fully-sponsored individuals are comprised of less fortunate kidney patients with monthly income below RM1,200 per month, and are currently undergoing treatment at NWF-managed dialysis centres nationwide,” she said. — Bernama
