Health team members are seen interviewing residents of Kampung Paon Sungai Rimu.
Tadeus John
KUCHING: The uncle of the rabies victims from Kampung Paon Sungai Rimu said he did not expect his niece and nephew to be severely ill due to the bites from his pet dog.
Tadeus John, 44, said the children might have been bitten by his dog sometime towards the end of May and nobody expected the siblings to fall ill since the wounds from the dog bites were healing.
“I recall on June 9, both of them looked so sick. They were having stomach pain, sore throat, difficulty in sleeping and refused to drink and sleep.
“So, we had no other choice but to send them by motorbike to Balai Ringin Health Clinic, which is about 20km away. The Serian Hospital is far, about 40 minutes (journey) from here,” he said when met at the village. He added that he felt very sad to see the siblings now admitted at the intensive care unit of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and reportedly to be in critical condition.
“I pray for a miracle to happen,” he said. His sister and the siblings’ mother Elisa was not at the village as she and her husband were at the SGH taking care of their sick children.
On the other hand, Kampung Paon Sungai Rimu Bakung chief Stephen Empudot hoped that the government would build a public clinic closer to the village and the surrounding villages so that it would be easier and faster for them to obtain medical attention and treatment.
He claimed to have submitted such request two years ago but had yet to receive a reply.