LAWAS: Staffing at the newly completed Lawas Hospital will be strengthened as additional human resources become available.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib said not all positions at the hospital have been filled due to current manpower constraints.
As such, she expressed hope that specialist doctors could eventually be permanently stationed at Lawas Hospital instead of relying on specialists who visit on a scheduled basis.
“Accessing specialist treatment is difficult for the people here as patients have to be sent to hospitals located far away.
“I hope this hospital will eventually become a specialist hospital so that the people will be less dependent on distant hospitals.
“I would also like to thank the Sarawak government for providing more infrastructure for the people of Lawas and Limbang,” she said.
She said this during the handover ceremony for the new 76-bed Lawas Hospital, officiated by Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, here today (Sept 14).
Hanifah, who is also the Mukah member of parliament, said the ministry acknowledged the healthcare needs in Lawas and is taking steps to improve services for the people.
She said this is particularly important given Lawas’ geographical location, with patients requiring referral treatment previously having to travel about one-and-a-half hours to Limbang.
The journey to Miri could take about three-and-a-half hours via certain routes, including crossing the Brunei or Sabah border.
“While the healthcare needs of the community continue to grow, patients’ priorities remain the same.
“They want treatment that is safe, of good quality and close to home when they fall ill or face an emergency,” she added.
Hanifah noted that the hospital’s Emergency and Trauma Unit received 14,083 patients in 2025.
During the same year, 693 patients were transferred to other hospitals, comprising 440 to Limbang, 151 to Miri and 102 to Kota Kinabalu.
She said the new hospital was not intended to eliminate the need for referrals altogether, as cooperation between healthcare facilities remained necessary within the healthcare system.
“However, strengthening services in Lawas would enable more people to receive treatment closer to their families and communities,” she said.
For the record, the existing Lawas Hospital was officially opened on May 16, 1969, and has served the community for about 57 years.
The new hospital brings existing services under one roof in a safer and more comfortable environment, with additional services and facilities to be introduced in phases.
Among the new facilities are two operating theatres, a patient catering kitchen and an ICT laboratory, which can facilitate remote consultations between medical officers and specialists through video conferencing for complex cases.
It also provides nine additional haemodialysis machines and 76 beds, including four High Dependency Unit beds.
