MAKING SURE: Dr Jerip (third right) points to a spot while inspecting the Nanga Bena clinic which has been closed since September 2008 as a result of soil erosion. Also seen in the picture are (from right) Ugak, Jamit, Itin, Philemon and Dr Ngian.
KAPIT: Villagers thank newspaper for highlighting their plight and need for proper health care.
The Borneo Post has been commended for helping resolve the issue over Nanga Bena health clinic, which has been abandoned for four years.
The paper has published two articles in the past one month about the plight of the over 2,000 people from 22 longhouses in the area who have been deprived of proper health care service since the clinic closed in
Sept 2008.
“We are thankful to the journalist from The Borneo Post for highlighting the issue. With his write-ups, we received a swift response from the relevant authorities to resolve this issue,” said Wilson Ugak Kumbong, private secretary to the minister of land development, at the ‘leaders-meet-the-people’ session at Rh Juntan, Sungai Sut, Baleh some 45 km from here yesterday.
Since the closure, the people have no choice but to go to Kapit town to seek medical treatment, spending at least RM40 for the trip.
Ugak also thanked Assistant Minister of Public Health Dr Jerip Susil, who made a site visit to the clinic to access the situation, for coming up with a solution.
In his speech, Dr Jerip assured the people that he would instruct the Kapit health officer to send a medical team twice a week
to provide medical services at the clinic as the people were willing to help clean the clinic’s compound and toilets.
“As soon as the people have done the gotong-royong here, the medical team from Kapit can come here starting next week,” said Dr Jerip.
He disclosed that after making a site visit to the clinic, he found that the building was still structurally safe.
“What actually happened was that there was a small landslide caused by a small drainage problem.
“And what had happened (to abandon the clinic) was a premature decision without proper assessment of the structural component of the building.
“After assessing the structure with the divisional engineer, we found out that there was nothing wrong with the building,” he told them.
On the villagers willingness to clean up the compound to make it a place worthy for dispensing health care services, he said: “This is very good as it shows that they are very serious in wanting the medical services to be resumed here.”
He estimated that some RM300,000 would be needed for restoration work to make the clinic fully operational again.
“This would depend on the availability of fund. Now I need proper assessment reports from the JKR, the district office and the medical department on how much is required to repair the clinic which has not been used for the last four years,” he said, adding that he hoped to get the necessary funding soon.
Present at the dialogue session were Kapit Resident Dahim Nadot, Kapit Walikota Philemon Nuing, Kapit district officer Elvis Didit, Kapit health officer Dr Ngian Hie Ung, Kapit divisional engineer Itin Langit, Kapit district council deputy chairman Cr Jefferson Jamit Unyat and community leaders.