March 11 (Reuters) - Dozens of U.S. lawmakers have called on FIFA to lower the cost of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, saying in a letter sent to the global soccer governing body this week that the use of dynamic pricing has turned the sporting event into an exclusionary enterprise at the expense of fans.
Kidney care: A patient undergoing dialysis treatment at KPJ Sentosa hospital in Kuala Lumpur. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The StarWhen she was diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago, she quickly realised that starting dialysis treatment was not easy.
Her kidney function had dropped to about 10% then. Private dialysis was beyond her means. “Each session at a private hospital costs about RM300. It was just too expensive for me,” she said, noting that patients typically require dialysis thrice a week. Help eventually came through good Samaritans who introduced her to a charity dialysis centre, where she qualified for subsidised treatment. At the centre, patients pay between RM10 and RM120 per session, depending on their financial situation.With regular treatments and support from the staff at the centre, Song was able to rebuild her life’s routine.She helps to take calls, besides guiding patients facing the same uncertainty she once did. “Because I went through this myself, I understand what they are feeling. If I can help them even a little, it means a lot,” she said. Another patient, known as Chan, 47, recounted a private doctor advising her to seek treatment at a centre. This had come about after Chan went through a difficult time while she was warded at a public facility. “The waiting time is indeed long at government hospitals, but they need to serve a larger group of people who can’t afford private care. Something should be done about this long waiting time,” she said. Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo, Malaysian Medical Association president, said many kidney patients continue to struggle to access consistent dialysis care. In some cases, he said that patients were told that it could take years to secure a slot at a government facility near their homes. He cited the case of a diabetic patient in his late 50s who needed dialysis urgently but could not get an appointment for dialysis treatment nearby. “He eventually relied on an NGO-run dialysis centre several districts away, with treatment partly paid for by his children and the rest through donations.” However, he said the patient sometimes missed the dialysis sessions due to transport problems and financial constraints. “This led to repeated emergency hospital admissions due to complications such as fluid overload and breathlessness.” Dr Thirunavukarasu said such situations place tremendous emotional and financial strain on families. “These stories are not isolated. They show how gaps in access to a basic, life-sustaining treatment can quickly translate into avoidable suffering and hardship.”
Dialysis Treatment Government Facilities Private Dialysis Charity Dialysis Centre Subsidised Treatment Malaysian Medical Association NGO Financial Constraints Access To Treatment
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