MUKAH: Direct visits to rural health facilities are crucial to ensuring healthcare services keep pace with the needs of local communities, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib.
She said such visits enabled the Ministry of Health (MOH) to assess facility conditions, identify gaps and better understand the challenges faced by healthcare personnel and residents.
“Direct visits are important to enable the Ministry of Health Malaysia to better understand the challenges on the ground and assess the condition of facilities used to provide services to residents,” she said.
Hanifah, who is also the Mukah MP, said this during the fourth series of the Borneo Health Tour (Jelajah Kesihatan Borneo – JKB) in Mukah Division on Saturday (Sept 5), covering working visits to Nanga Taroh Health Clinic (KK) and Simpang Bukut Health Clinic.
At Nanga Taroh Health Clinic, which has been operating since 1980, she was also briefed on staffing issues and inspected staff quarters requiring attention from the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, the visit to Simpang Bukut Health Clinic also identified several needs involving facilities, staffing and operations to strengthen healthcare service delivery to the local community.
Hanifah stressed that Sarawak’s vast geographical landscape, particularly in rural and interior areas, required healthcare solutions tailored to local needs and realities.
“Therefore, close cooperation between the MOH, Sarawak Health Department (JKNS) and local health authorities must continue to be strengthened to address the issues identified,” she said.
She added that the JKB provided an important platform to identify actual needs on the ground and work towards joint solutions to ensure communities continued to receive quality healthcare services.
