Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Heart Fund (SOSHF) is intensifying efforts to establish a dedicated national heart centre and children’s cardiac facility in Sabah, aiming to ensure that life-saving heart treatments are more accessible for local families.
SOSHF President Datuk Eva Susau emphasised the need for specialized care within the State as the organisation prepares to mark its 45th anniversary.
In a recent statement, Eva revealed that the SOSHF has already facilitated life-saving heart surgeries for 736 children in Sabah through an extensive network of medical partners.
However, despite these efforts, families still face a significant challenge in accessing specialised treatment due to the logistical barriers in place.
“Currently, families in Sabah are forced to endure a long and often exhausting journey to receive the necessary care,” Eva explained.
Patients must travel from rural districts to Kota Kinabalu, and then take a 1,630-kilometre flight to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, or even overseas to Singapore and South Korea for treatment.
The immense travel distances place a heavy financial and emotional burden on families already grappling with the stress of congenital heart disease, which affects approximately one in every 100 newborns.
While the long-term goal is to establish a localized heart centre within Sabah, Eva stressed that SOSHF is continuing to expand its immediate support systems to alleviate some of the strain on families.
One such initiative, launched in 2025, is a halfway home near Likas Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, providing accommodation for families traveling from remote areas. The halfway home ensures that parents and children have a safe place to stay during the treatment and recovery process.
For over four decades, SOSHF has relied on the generosity of donors and medical professionals to fill the gap in Sabah’s healthcare infrastructure.
Eva emphasised that the time has come to bring specialised heart care closer to home, advocating for a future where no Sabahan child is forced to travel thousands of kilometres to receive life-saving treatment.
The proposed national heart centre would not only offer heart surgeries but also provide critical long-term follow-up care and diagnostic services, significantly improving the healthcare landscape for children across the state.
As SOSHF moves closer to its 45th anniversary, it remains committed to bridging the gap in healthcare for Sabah’s children, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that no child in the State has to endure the emotional and financial hardships of distant medical travel.
