KUCHING, April 16: A total of 84,537 Sarawakians will benefit from the first phase of Peduli Kesihatan or Peka B40, a healthcare protection scheme for the low-income B40 group, that was rolled out today.
Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Kelvin Yii, in welcoming the implementation of PekaB40, encouraged all Sarawakians receiving Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) this year to check their eligibility for the first phase of the scheme online through the website or at Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak headquarters.
“Eligible recipients of BSH will automatically be part of the scheme and no registration is needed,” he said in a press statement today.
“According to Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad to my question in Parliament regarding the matter, the total number of BSH recipients above 50 years old in Sarawak is currently at 416,582 people.”
He shared that 3.94 million eligible recipients nationwide would benefit from the scheme, in which RM100 million had been allocated in the first phase. The scheme would be expanded in stages.
The scheme, which emphasised on early detection of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), was introduced and launched by the federal government through the Ministry of Health (MoH). It is free for all eligible recipients aged 50 and above, as well as their spouses, who receive BSH.
Dr Yii pointed out that this scheme was transformational in addressing the increasing rates of NCDs in the country and, hopefully, through proper prevention and early treatment. The occurrence could be reduced as the federal government aimed at creating a stronger and healthier society.
“This is in line with the World Health Organisation(WHO) recommendations to treat NCDs that emphasise the need for ‘prevention’,” he said.
Under this scheme, the recipient can benefit from four different health packages.
The first is free health screening that includes blood tests, diabetes control, cholesterol tests, urine tests, kidney function tests, mental health checks as well as breast and prostate examinations, if needed. Subsequent check-ups and follow up treatments will be referred to government clinics if patients are diagnosed with any diseases.
For recipients without any health problems and complications, they will be referred to the ‘Sihat Cergas’ programme.
The second package is for medical devices, in which a maximum of RM20,000 is allocated for patients seeking treatment at government hospitals only. Among the equipment covered under Peka B40 are stents for the heart, artificial joints, hearing aids, intraocular lens, wheelchairs and oxygen concentrators.
The third package is for cancer treatment, in which recipients will be given RM1,000 in phases, based on the stage of treatment, if they complete their treatments at government facilities.
The fourth package is to help recipients with their transportation cost. They would be provided with transport incentives up to RM1,000 for Sabah and Sarawak yearly, compared to RM500 in Peninsular Malaysia, for every disease they are diagnosed with.
The federal government noted and is concerned that many in the rural areas did not continue treatment due to financial constraints, including transportation cost.
BSH recipients can check their eligibility through the website https://kelayakan.pekab40.com.my/semakan-kelayakan or they can seek assistance from Dr Yii’s office.
They can also check all the listed private clinics in the area that provide for this scheme online at https://bms.pekab40.com.my/provider/index. — DayakDaily
