19 June 2023
The contribution is expected to treat 50,000 patients annually, while alleviating the industry shortage of cutting edge medical equipment for critical eye-related diseases
Kuala Lumpur: CIMB Foundation today announced its contribution of a top-of-the-line eye imaging machine, Heidelberg Spectralis HRA+OCT SHIFT technology to University Malaya Medical Centre (“UMMC”) in support of the hospital’s on-going efforts to deliver high quality and superior care to treat close to 50,000 patients with critical eye-related diseases annually. The machine, worth RM1.3 million, features cutting edge technology that facilitates diagnosis and treatment, while serving as an important aid for research capabilities in various areas of ophthalmology.
The medical industry is currently facing an acute shortage of specialised ophthalmology equipment with capabilities to provide end-to-end services of screening, diagnosing and treating patients with various eye conditions, including glaucoma and retina diseases such as diabetic eye-related diseases and age-related macular degeneration. This contribution assists in addressing the increase in eye-related healthcare cases with limited supply of facilities in the country, while supporting medical providers in offering optimal and precise eye-related care which is essential for a major hospital such as UMMC. Malaysia is gaining status as an ageing nation with people aged 65 and above to make up 14.5% of the total population by 2040. Thus, the machine will also enable UMMC to help cater to this target group in providing more holistic care for eye-related diseases.
UMMC will be able to deliver high quality teaching in imaging technology to undergraduate and postgraduate students, in the field of ophthalmology, through the usage of the HRA+OCT SHIFT technology.
A handover ceremony was held today with Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, Acting Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Foundation, presenting the machine to Professor Dr. Nazirah Hasnan, Director of UMMC. Also present at the ceremony were Rositah Mariam Sulaiman, Head of Corporate Responsibility, CIMB Group and the consultants, specialists and staff of the Department of Ophthalmology, UMMC.
Ahmad Shahriman said, “As an organisation that constantly strives to build greater resilience for the community, CIMB Foundation has always championed initiatives that enhance and contribute towards sustainable and long-term positive impacts to society. As such, we are pleased to do our part in providing the much-needed support to UMMC in addressing shortages in the healthcare sector, while assisting medical practitioners in treating one of the country’s critical diseases using the Heidelberg Spectralis HRA+OCT SHIFT technology. Guided by one of our pillars which is Health & Community Wellbeing, we hope that our contribution will enable the medical practitioners to advance the study and treatments in ophthalmology for the benefit of all Malaysians, giving them the best and most personalised care for eye-related diseases with ease."
Dr. Nazirah said, “We are truly humbled to receive this generous contribution from CIMB Foundation. This Heidelberg Spectralis HRA+OCT SHIFT technology machine is one of many medical advancements in the field of Ophthalmology diagnostics and investigations. We are certain it will bring better efficiency in patient care, encourage more medical research and assist in medical training of future ophthalmologists. Great care will be taken to ensure this technology serves our UMMC patients and specialists for many years to come. We express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to CIMB Foundation for making this technology available in our centre. We hope that our society will appreciate and acknowledge the importance of eye care and ocular health."
