Dr Subramaniam (fifth left) with his entourage and staff of K1M Rejang Park.
SIBU: The state will get three more new hospitals in Sri Aman, Petrajaya and Lawas, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam yesterday.
“Construction for the one in Petrajaya will be completed in a year’s time while the one in Sri Aman will be ready in three years’ time.
“The one in Lawas will be completed in two years’ time,” he told reporters after visiting the 1Malaysia Clinic (K1M) in Rejang Park here yesterday afternoon.
In Sarawak, there are 243 health facilities covering hospital and health clinic, apart from 34 K1M.
According to Dr Subramaniam, his ministry is also in the process of building another health clinic in Daro and two clinics in Mukah.
“We will also improve Mukah Hospital’s Accident & Emergency (A & E) section. I want to develop this A&E section because currently Mukah is riding on a wave of fast development from various industries after being identified as a centre
for development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) “With the availability of these industries there is a possibility of certain risks which we need to face and we need to be prepared,” he explained.
On human resources, Dr Subramaniam said since last year his ministry had dispatched many medical doctors to Sarawak. “Besides, vacancies for the medical assistants have also been filled up.”
He acknowledged the shortage of medical specialists in Sarawak, and said this shortage was a problem throughout the nation.
“For that, we will give priority to medical doctors from Sarawak to boost their expertise, and to serve in the state to meet the needs of the local people.
“If we send medical doctors from Peninsular Malaysia, after one or two years, they want to return. If we train those in Sarawak, probably they will able to stay longer,” he pointed out.
As a whole, health facilities have reached every part of Sarawak, the minister said.