SIBU: Several measures, including patient relocation, have been proposed to ease the congestion at Oya Road Polyclinic here, where the current daily average has swelled to 660 patients.
Assistant Minister of Housing and Public Health Dr Annuar Rapaee said the polyclinic, established in 1991, was meant to cater for a maximum of 300 patients daily but currently serves more than double the figure.
He added that the suggestions came about following discussions with State Health Department director Dr Jamilah Hashim and Sibu divisional health officer Dr Muhammad Rais Abdullah during his visit to the polyclinic yesterday. Dr Annuar, revealed that among the suggestions were to move out the maternal child health (MCH) services, which currently services about 150 patients per day.
He said they were also trying to identify a suitable location to cater for non-communicable disease patients seeking treatment for hypertension and diabetes which, ideally, would be near the polyclinic. He also noted this category of patients constituted about 300 per day at the polyclinic, which also caters to about 150 daily patients going for blood tests in preparation for their upcoming doctor’s appointment.
The dental clinic at the polyclinic, meanwhile, serves an average of 150 patients a day, while patients who collect their medication supply account for 300 daily.
“To ease congestion, we are going send these patients to Klinik 1Malaysia (K1M) in UTC Sibu, and also open up three other K1Ms in Bandong, Rajang Park and Teku.
“All the K1Ms here have doctors with the exception of the ones at Sungai Bidut and Rantau Panjang,” said Dr Annuar.