KUALA LUMPUR: After losing a leg to diabetes in March, Syed became confined to his home, relying on his son whenever he needed to go out.
"The amputation was one of the most painful experiences of my life, emotionally and physically," he said.
His immediate concern after the procedure was when and how he would receive a prosthetic leg.
That question was answered in August when Syed was fitted with a prosthetic leg through the Feet4Life programme by Yayasan Uniti, with support from Yayasan Petronas.
The fitting took place at his home, sparing him a difficult journey to the hospital and helping him regain some independence.
For now, his hopes are modest but meaningful.
"I am most looking forward to stepping outside the house, even if it is just to walk around the compound," the retiree said.
Syed's experience reflects a wider reality: access to healthcare is not simply about the availability of treatment, but also whether patients can reach medical facilities and obtain the support they need to recover.
Costs, distance and difficulties managing appointments can determine whether people receive care and continue their recovery.
For Malaysians from underserved communities, these barriers can put essential support beyond reach.
Yayasan Petronas' support for Feet4Life covers the cost of 200 prosthetic legs over a one-year period beginning in 2025, helping recipients regain mobility, resume everyday activities and, where possible, return to work.
To address these challenges, Yayasan Petronas works with healthcare providers and community partners to help patients access treatment, navigate the healthcare system and recover with dignity.
Its initiatives include prosthetic support through Feet4Life, travel assistance under the Sabah Health Access Programme (SHAPE) and cancer patient navigation through Cancer Research Malaysia's Navigation, Outreach & Resource Access (NORA) programme.
Healthcare extends beyond medical treatment. It encompasses a continuum that begins with timely diagnosis and includes access to appropriate care, follow-up support and recovery.
Improving health outcomes requires attention at every stage of this journey.
CLOSING GAPS TO TREATMENT
For patients requiring ongoing care, travelling to the hospital can become a recurring financial and logistical burden.
Tammy, an 18-year-old thalassaemia patient from Telupid, lives about 150km from Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan.
She shares a home with her mother and three younger siblings in a household supported mainly by welfare assistance and relatives.
Although she remains committed to her treatment schedule, the cost of travelling to appointments makes it difficult to maintain.
The Sabah Health Access Programme (SHAPE) provides travel assistance to help her continue receiving treatment.
Run by the Malaysian AIDS Foundation with support from Yayasan Petronas, SHAPE assists rural patients living with thalassaemia and HIV who face transport and other logistical barriers to healthcare.
The programme has also identified delayed blood transfusions caused by blood shortages, financial pressures associated with treatment and disruptions to schooling among the challenges faced by patients.
For families and people living far from medical facilities, the availability of treatment is only part of the equation.
They must also be able to reach healthcare facilities consistently, often over many months or years.
NAVIGATING CANCER CARE
For some patients, navigating cancer treatment and keeping medical appointments can be daunting.
Aishah, a pregnant mother of three, discovered lumps in her breast but received a formal breast cancer diagnosis only six months later.
Fear had kept her from seeking treatment earlier.
"I was scared and anxious. I was terrified of the operation, did not know what to do and did not want to burden my family. So, I resorted to alternative methods because I just wanted to get better," she said.
Following her diagnosis, Aishah faced a succession of appointments, transport costs and treatment decisions.
The strain was not only medical but also financial and emotional.
Support came through Cancer Research Malaysia's (CRM) Navigation, Outreach & Resource Access (NORA) programme.
NORA helps patients navigate hospital procedures, appointments and referrals while connecting them with financial, practical and emotional support.
This includes support through the Pink Ribbon Centre (PRC), a dedicated breast cancer support and patient navigation facility.
For patients such as Aishah, a cancer diagnosis can mark the beginning of a complicated journey through the healthcare system.
Having someone explain the next steps, identify available assistance or help resolve practical difficulties can make it easier for patients to continue treatment.
Yayasan Petronas' partnership with Cancer Research Malaysia began in 2019.
In 2025, the programme recorded 2,461 visits to the Pink Ribbon Centre and provided 1,260 cancer patients with navigation support to help them access timely care.
By addressing barriers such as costs, distance and gaps in information, patient navigation helps people remain connected to healthcare alongside their clinical treatment.
Health outcomes are shaped not only by medical interventions but also by what happens before, during and after treatment.
Timely diagnosis matters, as does the ability to travel to appointments, understand treatment options, obtain practical support and continue recovering.
For patients such as Syed, recovery is not measured solely by medical milestones, but also by simple moments: stepping outside his home, walking around the compound and reclaiming a degree of independence.
Programmes that remove barriers to healthcare help make these moments possible for Malaysians navigating their own journeys from treatment to recovery.
Supporting patients throughout this journey can help them remain in treatment, regain independence and recover with dignity.
*Names have been changed for privacy purposes.
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