FIVE HEALTH CLINICS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SARAWAK

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- Five health clinics are currently under construction in Sarawak to make health care services accessible for communities in the rural and interior areas, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the clinics are being built in Lubok Antu, Julau, Serian, Lawas and Daro, Sarawak.

"In addition, the Health Ministry (MoH) has identified 16 locations including districts in Sabah and Sarawak that do not have health clinics and could only rely on outpatient departments.

"We will focus on the needs of these clinics and we hope that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Minister of Finance, will continue giving special allocations to improve and upgrade clinic facilities in the interior and rural areas," he said.

He said this in reply to a question from Datuk Ali Biju (PN-Saratok) on the ministry's efforts to overcome the issue of lack of rural health clinics in Sabah and Sarawak to enable the people access to quality health care, during question and answer session today.

Meanwhile, Lukanisman said to attract more medical officers to serve in the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak, the ministry plans to provide suitable placements or quarters for them.

"Besides that, we are currently in discussions with the state governments to get them to help in terms of providing infrastructure with a few incentives for doctors who wish to serve in the outskirts," he said.

He said this in reply to a supplementary question from Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (PH-Kuching City) on the government's initiatives to increase the number of medical officers to serve the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak.

-- BERNAMA