Yayasan Orang Kurang Upaya Kelantan
Addressing The Need for Palliative Care Services in Kelantan
There is an urgent need for better palliative care in Malaysia, with only 19 palliative specialists serving in Malaysian state hospitals as of 2022—far below the 218 needed for the country’s 32 million people. As a result, only 10% to 15% of patients receive the care they need. This shortfall is particularly dire in Kelantan, where there are no palliative specialists despite having over 45,277 people with disabilities registered.
Yayasan Orang Kurang Upaya Kelantan (YOKUK), established in 1999, addresses this need through comprehensive healthcare, welfare, and educational programmes for the disabled. Its palliative care unit, which started with just one nurse and an assistant, has grown into a team of 16 and now includes palliative nurses, therapists, and support staff. They provide crucial mobile palliative care and therapy services for the B40 community and can cater to over 100 patients simultaneously.
YOKUK’s 25th anniversary celebration and the launch of their “Building A Caring Society by Designing Joy” book.
Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) supports YOKUK under its Community & Health pillar, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and well-being for all. YOKUK’s collaboration with local hospitals like Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II and Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia has significantly expanded their outreach, culminating in over 25,500 palliative care home visits and nearly 6,000 therapy sessions.
YOKUK’s work has not only alleviated financial burdens for families but also provided valuable healthcare training and mental health support for patient’s loved ones, earning international recognition from institutions like the National Taiwan University. Through its strategic partnership with YSD, YOKUK continues to make a substantial impact on the lives of the underprivileged and disabled in Kelantan.
YSD, through its YSD-YOKUK Sayang Home Care programme, is supporting the largest palliative care movement in Malaysia’s East Coast.
1,260 clients
received free palliative services
5,962 therapy sessions
in hydrotherapy, hippotherapy, physical therapy and sensory therapy
Knowledge enhancement in palliative care treatment delivered to
2,178 trained healthcare
professionals locally and internationally
YOKUK provides crucial mobile palliative care for the B40 community in Kelantan.
