Upgraded UMS dental clinic opens to public

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Dr Kasim signing the plaque of Alawa Dental Clinic at the launching ceremony.

KOTA KINABALU (March 22): The upgraded Alawa Dental Clinic of Universiti Malaysia Sabah Hospital (HUMS) is ready to serve the general public.

Director of HUMS, Prof Dr Helen Benedict Lasimbang said this is after two dental rooms at the UMS Resident Treatment Center (PRW) were upgraded to become a dental clinic which is one of the HUMS development projects under the allocation of the Higher Education Ministry.

She said the dental treatment that was first introduced in 2007 at PRW only offered basic treatment such as tooth extraction and scaling to UMS staff and students, due to the lack of complete facilities and narrow space.

“The limited space has been upgraded to a wider room with more sophisticated facilities, and it is sufficient to expand its use to the public.

“One of the reasons of expanding this service is to achieve and raise the value of corporate social responsibility and human values, because all groups regardless of age, race, religion, staff or non-staff of UMS have the right to receive the health services available,” she said in a statement on Wednesday, in conjunction with the opening ceremony of the clinic that was officiated by UMS Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor.

Helen also informed that currently only three surgery rooms are equipped with comfortable dental chair facilities, and HUMS will add two more dental chairs for the five surgery rooms so that more patients can be treated at one time.

“At the same time, a dental laboratory was also developed to provide services for making flexible or acrylic false teeth, sports mouthguard or nightguard and Removable Orthodontic Appliances.

“In addition, dental X-ray services such as OPG, Lateral Cephalogram and IOPA are also provided at a very reasonable price,” she added.

Meanwhile, Dr Kasim hoped that with the existence of Alawa Dental Clinic, the real objectives and goals of its establishment could be carried out well.

“My hope is that the Alawa Dental Clinic can provide benefits to all parties, while the quality of the services provided need to be improved from time to time.

“Similarly, with the variety of health services offered and provided at HUMS, it is hoped that they will be able to accommodate current needs and demands,” he said.

Also present at the event were Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof Ir. Dr Rosalam Sarbatly; UMS treasurer Badrul Hisham Ismail; UMS chief librarian Md Sazali Md Pious; and UMS legal advisor Awang Suhaizam Bongsu.