BUTTERWORTH, September 23 — The Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) has opened its sixth dialysis centre in the country and the first in the northern region at its Penang office in Seberang Jaya, offering free treatment for contributors requiring dialysis.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said the new centre can treat about 36 patients daily, with capacity to scale up to 70, and will ease the burden of more than 15,000 active contributors undergoing dialysis nationwide. Strategically located near Seberang Jaya and Bukit Mertajam hospitals, the facility expands Perkeso’s social safety net while reducing the financial strain of costly private dialysis services.
Sim explained that the initiative completes Perkeso’s service ecosystem, ensuring direct access to affordable care alongside 800 private and NGO-run dialysis centres nationwide. With six Perkeso centres now operating in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, and Penang, treatment capacity reaches up to 500 patients daily.
He added that unlike private sessions, which can cost RM2,800 monthly after subsidies, contributors at Perkeso centres pay nothing, underscoring the government’s commitment to accessible healthcare.
