IPOH: 1Malaysia mobile clinics will provide free medical services for people living in rural areas who do not have access to mobile clinics operated by the Health Ministry, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
FREE TREATMENT: Wakchu 28, together with her children, (from left) Rosariah, 2, Ronie, 5 and Rosadia, 10 months getting treatment inside ‘1 Malaysia’ mobile clinic at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pos Raya field. — Bernama photo
He said 1Malaysia mobile clinics were being introduced to ensure that people living in 25 per cent of rural areas in the country which are outside the 25km radius of the nearest health clinics can gain access to health services nearer to their homes.
Mobile clinics had already been introduced by the Health Ministry with 171 air, water and land clinics made available, 60 in the peninsula, 13 in Sabah and 98 in Sarawak which covered more than 1,600 rural villages, he said.
“The 1Malaysia mobile clinic programme is a joint effort by Yayasan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the Health Ministry . 1MDB will provide the buses while the ministry doctors and medicine,” he said when launching the inaugural 1Malaysia mobile clinic in Kampung Orang Asli Pos Raya in Gopeng near here yesterday.
Najib said 1Malaysia mobile clinics would be made availabe in Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Johor while the same using boats would be launched in Sarawak next year.
“If this concept (1Malaysia mobile clinics) takes off, we will expand the programme,
the government is committed to improving the health delivery system for the people,” he stressed.
He said to ensure productive citizens, the government placed particular emphasis to two areas namely health and education.
The 1Malaysia clinic programme launched in January for example, had benefited some 1.2 million patients, he said, adding that 51 1Malaysia clinics had already been made available while 50 more would commence operations next year.
“We will always be there for the people,” reiterated Najib, who then announced a RM5 million allocation for rural electrification and builing of a bridge for Orang Asli living in Pos Raya.
Also present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. — Bernama