By Amanda L
KUCHING, Jan 7: Strong collaboration between the public and private healthcare sectors is increasingly crucial as Sarawak grapples with manpower shortages and rising pressure on government health facilities, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Drawing on lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Sim said private medical practitioners played an important supporting role in closing gaps within the national immunisation programme when public facilities were overstretched.
Speaking to reporters after officiating the Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) Uplifting Lives: Basic Medical Supplies Handover Ceremony here today, he cited the collaboration between Batu Kawa health clinic and the Society of Private Medical Practitioners Sarawak (SPMPS), which saw private doctors operating night vaccination clinics.
At that time, Dr Sim said there was strong public demand, but some healthcare providers were hesitant to conduct vaccinations. Private clinics stepped in and helped.
Through the initiative, about 5,000 people were vaccinated, including rubbish collectors and funeral parlour workers.
“These were people who were often overlooked in the early stages, including rubbish collectors and funeral parlour workers, as they did not fall under the initial categories such as those aged 60 and above or with risk factors,” he said.
While the number may have been small compared to the wider population, Dr Sim said the effort demonstrated how effective cooperation between the public and private sectors could be during a crisis, particularly in reaching high-risk groups outside conventional healthcare settings.
“This is the spirit we want to carry forward. Healthcare is not something the government can do alone. Everyone can contribute, even in small ways,” he said.
Dr Sim, who is also Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG), said Sarawak continues to face manpower constraints in the healthcare sector, placing increasing strain on public health facilities, a challenge that makes private sector involvement even more important moving forward.
At the same event, he officiated the handover of basic medical and non-medical equipment worth RM50,621 to Batu Kawa health clinic.
The items handed over included a Welch Allyn MacroView Plus otoscope, a Bistos Hi-Dop vascular Doppler, five Omron blood pressure monitors, two dual-head adult paediatric stethoscopes, two Cosmogamma US13 I-Line ultrasound therapy units, an executive chair, three 15-compartment pigeonhole units, an office table, a washing machine, a shredder, and a front-load washer dryer. — DayakDaily
