BEAUFORT: 23 Thalassemia patients from the district were celebrated at the Afternoon with Beaufort Thalassemia Warriors and Appreciation for Active Organisers programme at the Beaufort Hospital Outpatient Department on Saturday.
Hospital Director Dr Sutharsan A/L Kannan said the programme aimed to strengthen ties between Thalassemia patients, hospital staff, and organisers who frequently hold blood donation drives in the district, while also providing an opportunity to deliver contributions to the patients.
“We also took this opportunity to celebrate the opening of the new Beaufort Hospital Blood Donation Centre. The pre-launch ceremony was attended by organisers who actively support the hospital, alongside the Thalassemia warriors,” he said.
Dr Sutharsan noted that starting Dec 15, the blood donation facility would be moved to a more accessible location along the main public route to encourage more donors.
The programme, held in collaboration with strategic partners including Shi Niu Mao Guandi Maang Penampang, Tong Guan, and Skuad Ar-Rayyan Sabah, highlighted that supporting thalassemia patients is a shared community responsibility.
From January to November this year, 2,550 units of blood were collected, benefiting approximately 7,650 patients.
Appreciation awards were presented to Y&Y Group (14 drives), Hung Men Beaufort Friendship Association (12 drives), and Skuad Ar-Rayyan Sabah for their consistent support.
Also present were representatives from the organising groups and individual donors, including Wong Oi Fa and Lee Kim Yoong.
The event featured the distribution of goodie bags and angpows to the thalassemia patients, with strong support from family members and the local community.
