More Than Medicine: A Night That Gave Hope to 300 Lives

YAM Tunku Puteri Johor, Tunku Puteri Dr. Kamariah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah- Dialysis patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) need a hormone injection called erythropoietin to survive.
YAM Tunku Puteri Johor, sister to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, arriving to officiate a project rooted in service and dignity

There are evenings that simply conclude.
And then there are evenings that initiate a movement, one that reaches beyond the ballroom and into the bloodstream of a nation’s healthcare crisis.

 

On 21 May 2025, the Hotel Royal Signature Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur did not just play host to a Rotary event. It became the symbolic launchpad for a medical relief mission that will deliver dignity and survival to 300 Malaysians silently battling End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD).

YAM Tunku Puteri Johor, Tunku Puteri Dr. Kamariah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah- Dialysis patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) need a hormone injection called erythropoietin to survive.
A moment of unity and purpose: YAM Tunku Puteri Johor joins Rotary leaders in officiating the launch of the Erythropoietin Injection Project, a humanitarian initiative that brings life-saving support to 300 dialysis patients across Malaysia. Left to Right: YAM

A Room Filled with Presence and Purpose

More than 70 Rotarians, community leaders, healthcare partners, and distinguished guests were in attendance. But what filled the room even more than people was something harder to name — a shared, silent conviction.

The room held:

  • Compassion

  • Collective intent

  • And an unspoken promise: that no one deserving of care would be left behind

The moment Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Dr. Kamariah — Trustee of Yayasan Sultan Iskandar Johor — entered the room, there was a palpable stillness.

Not silence from formality. But silence born from deep respect. From alignment between leadership and empathy

 

Also present were District Governor Rtn. Arvind Kumar, PDG Bhaskaran, and PDG Leslie Salehuddin — leaders whose presence underscored Rotary’s enduring commitment to humanitarian impact, health equity, and dignified care.

Dialysis patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) need a hormone injection called erythropoietin to survive.

The Challenge: When Health Is a Luxury

Across Malaysia, thousands of dialysis patients from low-income (B40) households live in the shadow of an impossible choice.

They fight through:

  • Weekly dialysis treatments

  • Chronic fatigue caused by low haemoglobin

  • The risk of infection, transfusion dependency, and declining quality of life

One of the most effective treatments — erythropoietin injections — remains out of reach for many due to cost.

This project is the bridge between need and access.

Dialysis patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) need a hormone injection called erythropoietin to survive.

With over RM500,000 raised, funded through a Rotary International Global Grant, with support from:

  • Rotary Club Seokmun and District 3620 (Republic of Korea)

  • Rotary Club Taipei Southgate and District 3481 (Taiwan)

  • Yayasan Sultan Iskandar Johor

— this humanitarian healthcare initiative will provide 8 to 12 injections monthly to 300 ESKD patients across Peninsular Malaysia, free of charge, for up to 18 months.

This is sustainable patient care, not a one-time donation.
This is Rotary at its best — where action meets empathy, and resources meet results.

The Launch Video

Rotarians' Support That Made This Possible

Gratitude to Our Paul Harris Fellows (PHFs)

This initiative would not be possible without the generosity of 16 Rotarians from Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur DiRaja, each of whom contributed USD 1,000 toward Paul Harris Fellowships (PHFs) — making our application to Rotary International’s Global Grant program possible.

We honour and thank the following Rotarians:

  • PAG Nagesh

  • PDG Dato’ Jimmy Lim

  • Rtn Dr. Jaideep Singh

  • CP Dato’ Andrew Chia

  • IAG Ajit Johl Singh

  • Rtn Dato’ Dr. Prakash Rao

  • Rtn Dato’ Dr. Sevinder Singh

  • Rtn Dato’ Tho

  • Rtn Nadeem

  • Rtn. Shah Redza

  • Rtn Suren Hendry

  • Rtn Rajendra Kula

  • Rtn Thomas Varughese

  • Rtn Horst Wippern

  • Rtn Dato’ Dave Teoh

  • Rtn Dato’ Uwe Ahrens

Additional Major Contribution

We are also deeply grateful to Mr. Hardave Singh, a member of the public, whose generous contribution of RM100,000 further enabled the launch of this program.

Dialysis patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) need a hormone injection called erythropoietin to survive.
Dialysis patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) need a hormone injection called erythropoietin to survive.

The Pillars Behind the Project: Leadership Rooted in Purpose and Compassion

At the heart of this initiative stood three individuals whose vision, conviction, and quiet strength carried the project from concept to execution.

 

President Dr. Alaric Nathan, with his steady leadership and unwavering focus, served as the anchor of the team — bringing structure, diplomacy, and balance to every moving part of the project. His presence, both at the launch and throughout the process, reminded everyone that true leadership lies in accountability, humility, and heart.

 

Alongside him, Dr. Jaideep Singh, the Project Organising Chair, poured his professional expertise and personal compassion into the very soul of the program. As a medical doctor, he understood better than anyone the real suffering faced by ESKD patients, and he carried that understanding into every decision, every detail, every layer of care planning.

 

And standing beside them both was PDG Dato’ Jimmy Lim, whose decades of service to Rotary and his deep international ties proved invaluable. It was Dato’ Jimmy who navigated the complex waters of global grants, cultivated the crucial partnerships with Rotary clubs in Korea and Taiwan, and turned a local idea into an international collaboration. These three men didn’t just organise a project — they demonstrated what it looks like when leadership is rooted in purpose, powered by service, and guided by compassion.

A Lifeline of Hope: Rotary Launches Erythropoietin Project for 300 ESKD Patients