JOHOR BARU: The first government-initiated Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) unit had been launched by Sultan of Johor’s royal consort Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah on Tuesday.

The PPC, a first to be set up at a government hospital, offers special healthcare for children below 18 years old who suffer from chronic diseases or life limiting conditions like cancer, HIV, cerebral palsy and thalassemia.

On top of their respective medical treatments, the unit provides the patients and their family members emotional relief.

There are currently 57 patients receiving care in the unit.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam who also attended the launch at Hospital Sultan Ismail said the government is in talks with other hospitals to open more such units nationwide to provide better healthcare to cater to the needs of young patients.

He said the centre has been in operation since March this year and was inspired by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — Prince William and Kate Middleton’s visit to Hospis Malaysia in September, last year.

“The unit, which took about RM500,000 to set up, was aimed at providing better environment for chronically ill children as they and their families faced tremendous stress, physically and emotionally.

“The difference between the PPC and other normal wards is that we make it a friendlier environment for the patients and families while they receive their treatment to help them ease their emotional burden,” he said.

Subramaniam added that there are four categories for the children to be admitted, which are those whose bodies reject medical treatment and under intensive care, those at risk for an early death, those with chronic illnesses and are receiving progressive treatment and those who have non-progressive neurological condition that could lead to complications and death.

source:the star online