SIMANGGANG: The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) has completed its pilot Disease Surveillance Programme (DSP), providing free health screenings to longhouse residents in Ulu Undop, Sri Aman.
Deputy Minister for Talen Development Sarawak and Simanggang assemblyman Datuk Francis Harden Hollis officiated the closing ceremony of the DSP, organised by the SIDC, which took place at three longhouses: Rh Bair of Kampung Sebangkoi, Rh Sunti of Kampung Sebujok, and Rh Gilbert of Kampung Sungai Putong.
The event was attended by Associate Professor Dr Ivan Yap Kok Seng, CEO of Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC); alongside Philip Foster Hollis, Special Administrative Officer to the Deputy Minister for Talent Development Sarawak.
The three-day programme was held from Feb 27 to March 1 and was facilitated by specialists from SIDC, Kuching, who provided free health screenings for residents.
The first phase of this programme focused on longhouses near the Malaysia-Indonesia border, as the communities on both sides maintain close kinship ties.
Dr Ivan expressed his gratitude for the cooperation of all parties and their support in making the programme successful, to which Harden responded by thanking the SIDC team for their dedication to travelling to rural areas to offer free health screenings.
“I truly hope this initiative achieves its intended objective, as all collected samples will be analysed.
“We are eagerly awaiting the results, which will be followed by necessary treatments if cases requiring further attention are identified,” he said.
Additionally, he said that residents were delighted and expressed their hopes for similar programmes in the future with a more comprehensive approach and the inclusion of more longhouses in Ulu Undop.
