Health infrastructure in Sarawak is urgently needed, should be given priority - Central Awang

LAWAS, 14 September: Health facilities in Sarawak should be given serious attention and a priority of the Federal Government, even problems involving delays on previous projects are also highly regretted and affect people's expectations.

Deputy Prime Minister of Sarawak Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said that executives at the federal level should understand the geographical issues and challenges in large Sarawak before implementing health facilities projects.

"For us, delays in project implementation are closely related to integrity because they involve costs. The delays in the implementation of these projects have prevented our people from getting the proper benefits of these facilities and services.

"For me in improving our health facilities in Sarawak the needs are also different as in Lawas, Kapit, Long Lama, Ba'kelalan, Long Semadoh and Bario", he told media after the Conciliation of Lawas Hospital Project from the Malaysian Ministry of Public Works to the Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM) at the New Lawas Hospital building today.

Also present were the Minister of Public Works, Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Deputy Minister of Health, Dato Hanifah Hajar Taib and Deputy Minister of Transport, Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.

He wants the health facilities in Sarawak to continue to be given special attention and not just paper studies in Putrajaya alone.

Meanwhile, Member of the National Assembly (ADUN) Bukti Sari said that Lawas Hospital is planned to be upgraded as a specialist hospital in the future, along with its strategic position in northern Sarawak to ensure people in the area have access to more modern and high-tech health services.

He said the aspiration to make Old Hospital a specialist hospital in the future is also supported by the need to strengthen digital infrastructure and equip hospitals with appropriate equipment.

"Telemedical approaches are also seen to facilitate online consultation services, while reducing the need for patients to be referred to other facilities.

"We have to plan so that maybe one day it can be used as a specialist hospital, Lawas' position away from other parts of Sarawak makes improving the capacity of health services an important requirement", he said.

He said that its strategic location, near Brunei, Sabah and Labuan Federal Territory is also seen as supporting the desire to make Lawas a modern healthcare hub in the region. -TVS