MIRI, Oct 28 — The Ministry of Health (MoH) would implement the best methods towards accelerating the development of healthcare services in Sarawak, with priority given to dilapidated clinics in the remote pockets.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said that among the demands by the Sarawak government was the need to establish comprehensive clinics, namely Type 2 and Type 3 facilities.

A Type 2 clinic can accommodate 500 to 800 patients per day, while Type 3 can handle between 300 and 500 patients per day.

"For example, Limbang has a hospital, but there is no health clinic which, in turn, creates congestion at the hospital.

"Similarly, in Julau we have a hospital too, but there is no large polyclinic for primary healthcare,” he said in his speech for the symbolic handing-over ceremony of the new Miri City Health Clinic yesterday.

On the request by many assemblymen and MPs in Sarawak for either a clinic or a hospital built in their respective areas, Lukanisman said a thorough planning must be undertaken before any proposal could be realised.

"If we look at Long Lama Health Clinic, they are in a more dire need of a new facility than those in towns. It’s the same for the clinic in Long San, which we have planned using a new method.

"We are looking at Sungai Asap clinic as well, where kidney patients have to travel four hours on the road to get to the clinic just for haemodialysis,” he said.

As for his Sibu parliamentary constituency, Lukanisman said although there was a plan to set up a hospital there, the main focus would be to have at least a Type 3 health clinic in Sepupok, which he said had been approved.

"At the same time, I will be working on having another clinic built in Sibuti,” he said.

Adding on, Lukanisman said there would be three health clinics in Sarawak slated for completion in the near future: each in Siburan, Serian and Lawas.

He also said there would be a few more new clinics up for implementation as soon as the approval of allocations under Budget 2024 by the end of November.

Also present at the function were Minister of Transport Sarawak Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin, Miri MP Chiew Choon Man, Deputy Minister II for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts I Datuk Sebastian Ting, MoH senior secretary (development division) Zairi Mat Ali and Miri divisional engineer Stephen Ung. — Borneo Post Online