Ministry mulls over extension of mobile clinic service

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PAPAR: The Ministry of Health is still studying the feasibility of extending the 1Malaysia Mobile Clinic services to the remote areas in Sabah, said Deputy Health Minister, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

The proposal submitted by the State Government for mobile clinics in the state has been forwarded to the implementing agency, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), for further study, she said.

“Based on initial planning, there is a need to set up mobile clinics utilising four-wheel drive vehicles as most remote areas in the state are largely inaccessible.

“There are situations which demand and justify the use of boats and four-wheel drive vehicles for the mobile clinic services, but that will depend on the decision of the ministry and 1MDB,” she said after officiating a ‘Fardhu Kifayah’ course held at the mosque of Kampung Seri Tanjung, Pengalat Kecil here yesterday.

When asked on the implementation date of the mobile clinic service, Rosnah said since the matter was still at the discussion stage, she could not give a specific time frame.

The ministry through the implementing agency, would thoroughly analyse the need before establishing the mobile clinic service in the state, she added.

She said mobile clinics have started their services in Perak and Selangor before being extended to Pahang and most recently into Sarawak.

She added 1Malaysia mobile clinics which was introduced last year, had benefited more than 10 patients throughout the four states.

In the three states in the peninsular, the mobile clinics use buses to reach the remote native settlements and other areas not provided with static clinic services.

Meanwhile, in Sarawak, boats are being used for the mobile clinics to serve the people mainly residing along the riversides.

Rosnah, who is also Papar member of parliament, said  there was no reason to deny the people access to health services in the country, thus, the introduction of the mobile clinics.

“Presently, we have 171 mobile clinic teams and their services also cover those in estates and farms,” she added.

Commenting on the current development of the 1Malaysia clinics in the country, Rosnah said there were currently 82 such clinics in existence.

The ministry has exceeded the original target by seven when they set up a total of 32 additional clinics this year.

However, if the need arose, the ministry would look into setting up 1Malaysia clinics at certain areas to overcome overcrowding at hospitals and health clinics in the urban and outskirt areas.