Health ministry explores helicopter dental service for Sarawak interior

Deputy health minister Hanifah Hajar Taib said the proposal would see dental teams deployed under the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) to reach villages that are difficult to access by road, Borneo Post Online reported.

“If it can be incorporated into the FDS, the services could be delivered using helicopters. This is something we would like to propose.

“We do not want those living deep in the interior to be left behind. We understand that there are still rural areas that cannot be accessed by road, and we will not neglect them,” she was quoted as saying after officiating at the launch of the 2026 Sarawak state-level oral health promotion week.

Hanifah said Sarawak currently has 53 dental clinics, but many rural communities still do not have permanent dental facilities, she said.

The ministry operates eight mobile dental buses and 127 mobile dental teams using vans, four-wheel-drive vehicles and boats to provide services to remote settlements.

Hanifah said the ministry would review its outreach coverage and explore other methods to improve access to dental care in the state’s interior.

She also acknowledged shortages of dentists, specialists and dental nurses in Sarawak, saying efforts were being made to strengthen the healthcare workforce.

However, she said increasing the number of specialists and healthcare professionals would take time as they have to undergo the required education and training.