Children and parents paying close attention to the dentists during the ‘Toothbrushing Drill’.
KUCHING: The Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital has successfully conducted an outreach project in the heart of Padawan District.
The programme on Saturday was a collaborative effort between the hospital, nearby health clinics, a team of dentists from Kota Sentosa Health Clinic and Medical Outreach Petaling Jaya (MOPJ), which brought its own experts in various fields such as pediatric care, obstetrics and gynaecology, cardiology, dermatology, plastic surgery and orthopedics.
The volunteers met up with some 350 Padawan folk, providing them with diagnosis, treatment and consultation throughout the day.
Organising chairman Dr Goh Yi Xiong was satisfied with the project, adding that he had always envisioned a continuous collaboration between the public and private sector with regard to rural healthcare development.
“By working together, we can provide comprehensive care to a larger group of individuals within a complex and difficult environment,” he said.
According to Goh, the Padawan District recently suffered multiple blows of unfortunate events — from floods to landslides — which had severely affected the people’s access to healthcare.
“These acts of nature are highly unpredictable. They have resulted in significant damage to roads, making it harder for the people here to obtain medical treatment.”
Asked about his motivation for conducting the camp, Goh related a true story of an 87-year-old woman who had a heart problem.
“She was started on blood thinners. She would have to walk a few hours down the mountain to get her blood checked, once every few weeks.
“She had rejected multiple referrals to the cardiologist, despite her condition. She said if she followed through, it would be a huge financial burden to her children for them to arrange regular visits to the heart centre,” he said.
Meanwhile, the outreach programme in Padawan was a first time experience in Sarawak for many members from MOPJ.
According to its president Dr Wendy Tan, they are mostly consultants working at private healthcare providers in and around the Klang Valley.
“They have previously conducted several similar programmes across Peninsular Malaysia, but this is their first time venturing to Borneo, particularly Sarawak.
“Nevertheless, they are very excited to be part of this outreach initiative. This is in line with our vision, which states that healthcare should not be bound by race, religion or creed.
“We go to where the people need us the most.”
For MOPJ member Dr Suren Thuraisingham, he was particularly impressed by the healthcare system here, despite it lacking in many facets.
“The work ethics of the nurses (here) are really praiseworthy, as they show a great degree of compassion and initiative for their people.”
Aside from MOPJ, several corporations including Sarawak Energy Bhd chipped in by purchasing food and dental hygiene packs for malnourished children.
Sarawak Energy, in particular, sponsored 100 food baskets containing milk powder, Appeton syrup and biscuits.
The dental team from Kota Sentosa health Clinic seemed to be popular among the children, with the dentists presenting their ‘Toddler Dental Education’ and ‘Toothbrushing Drill” in a lively and amusing atmosphere.
The children participating in the session later received a dental hygiene pack each.