KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is working to assemble a team as it explores the possibility of establishing a transplant centre at its hospital, says Assoc Prof Dr Malehah Mohd Noh.
The UMS Hospital director said the hospital has already set up an organ procurement unit.
The organ procurement unit was led by Dr Abdul Jabbar Ismail, the hospital's deputy clinical director and a former intensivist (critical care doctor) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2.
“To establish the unit, you need a surgeon, an anaesthesiologist, and the procurement unit.
“We also need a full-time kidney specialist and a transplant surgeon in Sabah. We should start planning and training professionals here for the future,” Dr Malehah said.
She was speaking after the handover of a dialysis treatment initiative for two B40 patients by Qhazanah Sabah Bhd at Menara Kinabalu, here, on Thursday (Nov 7).
Qhazanah Sabah chairman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob said that Qhazanah Sabah is currently sponsoring two patients for dialysis treatment at the cost of RM50,000 per patient annually.
Also present at the event were Sabah’s deputy health medical services director Dr Shim Jyh Ye and Queen Elizabeth Hospital director Dr William Gotulis
Currently, 23 government hospitals in Sabah provide dialysis services to the public.UMS Hospital aims to open a dialysis unit by January 2026.
