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Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. Photo credit: UkasAdvertisement
By Amanda L
KUCHING, May 19: The Sarawak government has expanded its targeted healthcare assistance to include funding for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan services alongside continued welfare support that has disbursed RM101.4 million to 56,585 recipients as of April 30, 2026.
Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the inclusion of PET scan funding under the Medical Assistance (Bantuan Perubatan or BP) is a strategic move to ensure vulnerable and low-income patients can access advanced cancer diagnostic technology without facing financial barriers.
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“The newly added PET scan coverage will leverage this exact, proven targeted healthcare framework, significantly bolstering Sarawak’s localized efforts to improve advanced cancer survival rates among the underprivileged,” she said.
She said this in her ministerial winding-up speech during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS)sitting today.
Fatimah also detailed the performance of the State’s specialized Targeted Healthcare Assistance (Bantuan Kesihatan Bersasar) which has already benefited hundreds of patients requiring critical medical treatments.
The specialized fund has been disbursed across three core areas, beginning with the Kidney Patient Assistance scheme, which utilized RM7.53 million to support 334 beneficiaries requiring dialysis and related treatments
Furthermore, the Medical Assistance scheme allocated RM850,000 to cover critical healthcare needs for 59 recipients, while the Prosthetics and Supportive Devices scheme spent RM130,000 to aid 47 individuals in acquiring necessary medical support apparatus.
Beyond these medical initiatives, she highlighted the State’s broader social safety net statistics compiled through April 30 this year, disclosing that the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS) has funneled RM101.4 million into its Monthly Welfare Financial Assistance (Bantuan Kewangan Bulanan Kebajikan) scheme.
“This substantial allocation was distributed directly to 56,585 registered beneficiaries across the State, aimed specifically at alleviating the cost of living burdens of vulnerable families,” she explained. — DayakDaily
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