KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 – The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Malaysia has introduced its Kidney Transplant Subsidy, which aims to help underprivileged patients and organ donors with the financial burden of kidney transplantation.
The subsidy will cover various costs from pre- to post-kidney transplantation, including income loss replacement for the workup and recuperating period.
“The subsidy accounts for the many costs that are prevalent in the process of transplantation which can discourage organ donors and patients from following through especially for those that are underprivileged. With over 8,000 Malaysians being diagnosed with kidney disease annually, it’s imperative that we help facilitate transplantation to the best of our ability,” said Khor Xin Yun, Chief Executive Officer, NKF Malaysia.
The costs that fall under this subsidy are as follows:
To apply for the kidney transplant subsidy, the consultant nephrologist from a government hospital refers and recommends a patient along with a detailed medical summary and a list of items required for the subsidy.
This ensures that only patients who truly require assistance qualify and that the subsidy is applied to necessary costs.
There are instances where a nephrologist can refer a patient to a private hospital for pre-transplant screening and workups under the subsidy on the basis that government and university hospitals do not have the capacity to tend to said patient.
However, the subsidy does not include the cost of surgical fees, as government hospitals have the capacity to perform kidney transplant surgery and provide immunosuppression therapy.
For more information about the NKF Kidney Transplant Subsidy, visit their website or call 03-7954 9048 ext. 208
