100-year-old National Leprosy Centre Should Be Preserved - Dr Wan Azizah

SUNGAI BULOH, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The National Leprosy Control Centre (PKKN), which is marking its 100th anniversary, should continue to be preserved as an icon of the country’s medical history, said Prime Minister’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

She said the facility, which was built in 1926, had recorded various important milestones in the country’s healthcare history.

“Although leprosy appears to have been brought under control, there are still other things that can be done. This treatment facility is part of our history, showing how the disease was treated among our people, and it has also become an icon.

“We need to take care of it, and if possible, this heritage should be preserved and appreciated,” she told reporters after making a special visit to PKKN at Sungai Buloh Hospital here today.

Earlier, the Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament toured the PKKN facilities and was briefed on the history and role of the centre in tackling leprosy in the country. She also spent time with PKKN staff and residents, contributing daily necessities and receiving a portrait painted by one of the residents.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also chairman of the Pertubuhan Kebajikan Amal Silaturahim Isteri-Isteri Harapan Malaysia (KASIH Malaysia), said that apart from preserving the physical heritage structures, efforts to upgrade and improve healthcare services at the centre should continue from time to time.

She said public perceptions and social stigma towards leprosy had also changed, as the disease was not easily transmissible.

PKKN was once the world’s second-largest leprosy isolation centre before Malaysia achieved leprosy elimination status in 1994, with the latest prevalence rate standing at 0.15 cases per 10,000 population, well below the target set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The centre also served as a ward for COVID-19 patients in 2020.

-- BERNAMA