KUCHING: The Sarawak Government has approved RM1.9 million to implement a statewide digital developmental screening and intervention programme aimed at supporting children with developmental delays.
Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said the allocation will fund the first year of the programme, which will expand screening and intervention services beyond the One Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC).
“The programme will enable digital developmental screening to be carried out in preschools across Sarawak, benefiting approximately 1,800 children,” she said during a press conference at OSEIC today.
Fatimah revealed that the initiative will also involve the professional upskilling of about 140 teachers to conduct screenings and provide early intervention support.
She said the programme was developed to address the shortage of specialists available to assess children with developmental delays.
“At present, only about four children can be assessed each month by doctors from Sarawak General Hospital, while the waiting list continues to grow,” she said.
Fatimah pointed out that the initiative builds on a pilot project conducted in 2024 involving three preschools, which screened 200 children and demonstrated promising results.
“The pilot programme has already benefited 694 children statewide while empowering 95 teachers through training in digital screening and intervention methods,” she said.
Fatimah said the initiative represents an important milestone in ensuring children with special needs in Sarawak receive early support and equal opportunities in education.
“Early identification is crucial, particularly as access to specialist assessment remains limited,” she added.
