Teksi 10-Sen (10-Cent Taxi)
Teksi 10-sen was initiated when I saw how a poor Chinese cook struggled till his death bed battling cancer. He was a resident in PPR Enggang, Kinrara, Selangor. Each visit to the National Cancer Institute posed a big challenge for him and his family.
3 HOURS JOURNEY TO GO FOR TREATMENT
Firstly, he had to wait for a long time in PPR Enggang for a public bus to IOI Mall, Puchong. From there, he had to wait for a long while to catch a bus to Putrajaya. From Putrajaya, he needed to catch a taxi to the National Cancer Institute. The travelling time alone took more than three hours for a one-way trip. Imagine he has to travel back using the same route again after his chemo treatment. The suffering he and his family members went through was heart-breaking. After seeing his struggle, and many more poor and sick who face the same problem, we decided to start operating Teksi 10-sen.
Many who were suffering from poor health further deteriorated in their condition as they ‘ponteng’ on their hospital appointments. Once, Prof. Dr Dayang Anita Aziz, who is one of our biggest supporters and partners told me,
“Kuan, please do it and reduce PONTENG HOSPITAL. It will make the sick worsen in their health if they ponteng hospital often.”
And then, there is a man from Kuala Selangor. I remember an Indian female doctor from Hospital Sungai Buloh pleading with me to save his eyes. She told me,
“I can cure him. But he always skipped his appointments and thus, his eyes are getting worse.”
A happy ending to this story is that fortunately, we collected enough funds from all of you for his transportation. And our joint efforts stopped him from going blind. Together, we saved his eyes.
Thus, Teksi 10-Sen is very much an important initiative to the poor and sick. It is always a huge relief for us all to see that the sick goes for hospital treatment with only 10 cent. Of course, we expect our public transportation system to get better with time. But until and when it does get better, we are still very much in need of Teksi 10-Sen.
EARLY TREATMENT IS THE KEY
Furthermore, this initiative also indirectly reduces the financial burden faced by the government in subsidising the cost of medicine. If a poor patient does not go to hospital at the early stage of his illness, his cost of treatment will rise when his illness advances and requires more expensive treatment. Thus, early intervention saves medical cost. Difficulty in seeking medical treatment also impacts a family when it loses its bread winner or its caretaker in cases where poverty means that person cannot afford to go to hospital. What will happen to their young children? Their future will be bleak.
To ensure the whole family is not burdened due to illness. we will continue to provide the Teksi 10-Sen service to the sick and poor. We will make sure they go conscientiously for their hospital appointment, get their treatment and medicine, and heal fast. Where the sick is concerned, they too can heal fast, as our initiative brings love and kindness, and it is comforting for them to know that the world is not as cold as they think. Therefore, let us give support to Taxi 10-Sen to have it running around in Kuala Lumpur and other needed areas.
We are in the midst of planning to run the system in Klang General Hospital as there are many poor and sick patients being treated there. Our mission is to add more Teksi 10-sen to help more sick people to get to hospitals in years to come.
