MAKNA LAUNCHES NEW HALFWAY HOUSE IN JOHOR BAHRU

Soothing colours and encouraging quotes, such as these, adorn the rooms in the MAKNA Halfway House

MAKNA launched a new Halfway House (Rumah Perantaraan MAKNA Johor) in Taman Austin Perdana Johor Bahru. The house, the first of nine that MAKNA planned to open in Peninsular and East Malaysia, provides temporary accommodations to cancer patients seeking treatment at Hospiztal Sultan Ismail (HSI) and Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA).

From left: Dr Myat Soe Khine, Specialist in Oncology & Radiotherapy Department, HSI, and Puan Norlija binti Kassim, Head of Welfare Department, HSI, being briefed on the facilities available in the Halfway House from MAKNA personnel

MAKNA started its Halfway House service in 2008, also in Johor Bahru and in collaboration with HSI, with the objective of providing accommodations for patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, to avoid them having to travel back and forth between the hospital and their homes for the duration of their treatment. This is to help reduce the number of patients discontinuing their treatment and jeopardizing their chances of recovery before completion because they are unable to afford the travelling expenses or are not physically fit to undertake the journey. 

MAKNA hopes to provide a more encouraging and relaxing atmosphere for patients to help them feel at home and comforted during their stay

By providing short-term, free-of-charge accommodations for patients, MAKNA hopes to ease the burden and to help patients continue their treatments without interruption. The first halfway house had accommodated 89 patients from 2008 to 2015. The launch of the new house in Taman Austin Perdana marks the beginning of a generation of Halfway Houses where a better, more encouraging and relaxing atmosphere is aimed for to ensure patients feel at home and comforted during their stay. 

The house comes with four fully furnished bedrooms and a living room in addition to a kitchen stocked with basic items. Simple, complimentary is provided along with transportation to and from the hospitals. The house is located 10 minutes away from HSI and 30 minutes from HSA – near enough to the hospitals for patients to receive quick medical attention in the event of an emergency. 


The Halfway House in Taman Austin Perdana is the first of nine that MAKNA plans to launch in 2016, including in East Malaysia, to expand on this much-needed service and to better serve cancer patients.

Dr Myat Soe Khine (third from left) and Puan Norlija Kassim (fifth from left) with MAKNA staff after witnessing the launch