SOSHF renews call for Sabah Heart Centre

KOTA KINABALU (March 8): The Society for the Sabah Heart Fund (SOSHF), as it approaches its 45th anniversary, has renewed its call for the establishment of a national heart centre, including a dedicated children’s heart centre in Sabah.

SOSHF president Datuk Eva Susau said the proposal aims to address the growing demand for specialised cardiac care in the state, particularly for children born with congenital heart disease.

She noted that Sabah’s vast geography and widely dispersed population continue to pose major healthcare challenges, especially for families living in rural and interior areas.

“At present, many Sabah patients requiring specialised cardiac surgery must travel to hospitals outside the state, including Kuala Lumpur, which is about 1,630 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu,” she said.

“For families in remote areas, this often means long journeys to Kota Kinabalu followed by flights to Peninsular Malaysia, as well as extended stays away from home and considerable financial and emotional strain,” she added.

Eva said Sabah families have travelled thousands of kilometres for life-saving heart surgery for more than four decades.

“The time has come to bring that care closer to home,” she said.

Congenital heart disease affects about one in every 100 newborns worldwide, meaning a significant number of children in Sabah may require specialised cardiac treatment each year.

Since its establishment in 1981, SOSHF has worked with hospitals and medical partners in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore and Korea to arrange life-saving surgery for Sabah children.

With the support of donors and medical professionals, more than 736 children from Sabah have received life-saving heart surgery through the society’s assistance.

In 2025, SOSHF also established a halfway home near Likas Hospital in Kota Kinabalu here to provide accommodation for families travelling from remote districts for treatment.

“As we mark 45 years of service, we hope our experience supporting Sabah families will contribute to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the state.

“The children of Sabah should not have to travel thousands of kilometres for a chance at life,” Eva said.