 SUBANG JAYA: The Al-Falah mosque in USJ 9 is raising funds for the construction of a permanent Waqaf An-Nur clinic a charity clinic offering affordable healthcare to all.
"The construction cost will come up to over RM500,000, not including medical equipment," said Al-Falah mosque community bureau chairperson Khazali Mohd Zin.
The clinic has been operating out of a temporary steel container in the mosque’s premises from 9am to 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays since its inception last April.
Charging a nominal fee ofRM5 per patient, over 500 patients with common ailments like flu and fever have been treated so far.
"With a permanent building, there will be more space to add other equipment like 12 beds for dialysis and extending opening hours to six days per week;’ said Khazali.
He was speaking at the clinic during a cheque presentation by SubangJaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh who donated RM 17,000 yesterday.
Apart from Yeoh’s donation, the mosque has so far raised RM41,000 from its congregation and has received a pledge by a private corporation for RM200,000.
"As the cost for running this clinic is high, we hope more corporations will step forward to help, or even the government through the Health Ministry:’ said Yeoh.
This clinic is a community service initiative by KPJ Healthcare Bhd which allocates doctors to each of its 16 WaqafAn-Nur clinics throughout the country.
As there was a need for affordable healthcare here, they contacted the AI-Falah mosque as it had sufficient space within its grounds for a clinic.
"There are Subang and Puchong residents who cannot afford private clinics, so they come here" said KPJ Healthcare Bhd CSR and Education group general manager Yusof lsmail.
He said the lack of public or 1Malaysia clinics in Subang, the nearest being in Kelana Jaya, left a great need for affordable healthcare here.
Yusof added that in-line with the Waqaf concept, the clinic is open to all from those arriving in luxury cars, to foreign workers who earn a pittance.
"With the doctor’s consultation, patients may get three days ofmedication. Only school children get medical certificates as we don’t want to compete with, but complement, nearby private clinics:’ he said.
Yusof said they plan to increase the amount of Waqaf An-Nur clinics nationwide to 19 by year’s end.
He added that the six clinics they operate in Selangor treated 34,000 patients in 2011, out of which 3,000 were non-Muslim.
"Mosques are not only places for religious activities but also for community services to be carried out:’ he said.
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