By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Nov 24: There is no planning to build a new hospital in Mukah as the current Mukah Hospital is providing specialist services under the Cluster Hospital concept, says Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Michael Tiang.
He said the Ministry of Health had also on Sept 8, 2022 announced the proposed upgrade of Mukah Hospital to a Minor Specialist Hospital.
Tiang was responding to Tellian assemblyman Royston Valentine’s question on the government’s plan on improving health facilities in Mukah during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting at the DUN Complex here today.
To explain the Cluster Hospital concept, Tiang said it is a concept initiated by the Health Ministry since 2014 to broaden and optimise service delivery of specialist care to the rural areas.
“It is a cluster comprising of several hospitals in the same locality and led by a major specialist of state hospital which aims to improve coordination between hospitals and to increase coverage of specialist care.
“This shall help to improve the quality of healthcare delivery regardless of location especially rural areas,” he added.
To date, Tiang said there are six cluster hospitals in Sarawak involving 23 hospitals and Mukah Hospital is in the Western Cluster Hospital together with Dalat Hospital, led by Bintulu Hospital.
This means specialists in Bintulu Hospital will provide periodic visiting services to both the Mukah and Dalat hospitals.
Currently, Mukah Hospital provides visiting specialist services in obstetrics and gynaecology, internal medicine, general surgery, psychiatric, otorhinolarycology (ear, nose and throat), opthalmology (eye), pediatric, emergency, medicine and radiology. — DayakDaily
