Eight NSCMH dialysis care branches resume operations

Datuk Lee Tian Hock

SEREMBAN, July 30 (Bernama) -- Eight branches of Pusat Hemodialisis Mawar (PHM) previously owned by the Mawar Medical Centre (MMC) and which have been taken over by the NSCMH Medical Centre have recently obtained their licence from the Health Ministry to resume operations, according to NSCMH Medical Centre chairman Datuk Lee Tian Hock

He said the eight branches, which are now under the NSCMH Medical Centre-owned NSCMH Dialysis Care, are Bahau, Kuala Pilah, Lukut, Mantin and Rantau in Negeri Sembilan, Sepang and Seri Kembangan in Selangor and Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur.

The licence for three more branches -- Gemas (Negeri Sembilan), Yong Peng (Johor) and Tawau (Sabah) -- is pending and should be approved soon, he told a press conference after meeting 11 branch chairmen of NSCMH Dialysis Care at the NSCMH Medical Centre here today. Also present was NSCMH Medical Centre deputy chairman Datuk Hon Choon Kim.

"When all these 11 branches have obtained their licence and resumed operations, patients will no longer have to worry. The NSCMH Medical Centre now has 12 branches of NSCMH Dialysis Care, including one at the medical centre itself in Seremban.

"With the resolution of the licence issue, we hope all 12 branches of NSCMH Dialysis Care can operate properly for the well-being of patients. We are allocating RM200,000 a month to cover the expenditure of all the 12 branches,” he said.

Lee said 480 patients were registered with the 12 branches, which have 117 workers.

"However, we may set up more branches according to the needs and our financial capability,” he said.

The NSCMH Medical Centre took over the operations of the 11 PHM branches on June 11 this year as a social responsibility after they ran into internal problems.

On Jan 15 this year, the Health Ministry cancelled the licence of MMC after it was found to have violated the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586).

The medical centre was ordered to cease operations by the ministry on Feb 14 after it failed to comply with the legal requirements in ensuring the premises have the licence to operate.

-- BERNAMA