In the quiet hills of Betong, Sarawak, where winding roads meet rivers and longhouses stretch across the landscape, the Nanga Tiga Health Clinic serves as a lifeline for more than 2,000 residents from over 25 longhouses, many of whom are elderly, mothers, and children.
For years, this rural facility operated with limited resources, depending on the dedication of its small team to meet the growing needs of the community.
Dr Muhammad Nuh, who reported for duty in February 2024 as the clinic’s only medical officer-in-charge, recalled his first impression of the posting.
“I had just been assigned to Nanga Tiga Health Clinic and I didn’t know where it was. I ‘Googled’ it and saw only photos of rivers and wooden bridges. I was nervous at first, but I came anyway,” he said.
Originally from Kedah, Dr Nuh now makes the 3.5-hour trip twice a month to visit his wife in Kuching.
“It’s a beautiful place, but the hilly roads and unpredictable water and internet supply are challenging. Still, I’ve grown to love it,” he added.
The clinic’s doors open daily from 8am to 5pm but work rarely ends. Staff are on call through the night and weekends, facing everything from asthma attacks to strokes.
With only one medical officer, critical cases often require referrals to Mid-Layar Health Clinic or Betong Hospital, some 40 minutes away.
For Senior Medical Assistant Minambigay Prakasa Rao, fondly known as Mina, this reality has defined her 13 years of service at Nanga Tiga Health Clinic, far from her family in Selangor.
“Each month, we refer about 15 to 20 patients because we cannot perform certain tests or treatments here,” she said.
The weight of her work is heavy, yet her voice carries conviction: a rural clinic must be equipped to provide complete, basic medical services that meet the needs of its people.
For the villagers, the challenges are personal.
Local farmer Beruka Apaw often finds transportation to town an obstacle.
“Transport is a challenge. Sometimes we have to borrow someone else’s car just to get medical treatment in town because the clinic here doesn’t have the facilities we need,” he said.
For longhouse chief Balisan Berundang, even reaching Nanga Tiga Health Clinic can be an ordeal, let along travelling further to the Betong Hospital.
“The earth roads become slippery when it rains. The clinic is more than 10 kilometres from our longhouse. Sometimes, we had no choice but to reschedule our appointments since getting here wasn’t possible,” he explained.
Recognising the urgent need, PETRONAS, together with the Association of Wives of Ministers and Assistant Ministers of Sarawak (SABATI) and the Sarawak State Health Department (JKNS), stepped forward with a meaningful contribution under the ‘PETRONAS Uplifting Lives’ initiative.
A contribution worth RM50,000 equipped the clinic with vital medical tools, including an intubation set, mobile vital sign monitors, an oxygen cylinder, stethoscopes, wheelchairs, an electrocardiograph machine, and weighing scales.
To support operations and improve comfort, the clinic also received desks, chairs, cupboards, solar lamps, a computer set, an LCD projector, and a portable speaker.
The equipment was officially handed over by Norazibah Md Rabu, General Manager of PETRONAS Sarawak regional office, to Deputy State Health Director of Sarawak (Public Health) Dr Mohamad Nazarudin Bahari recently. The ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also the State assemblyman for Bukit Saban.
For Dr Nuh and his team of eight, the new equipment meant more than convenience. It meant dignity for their patients: no more broken chairs, fewer delays, and better responses in emergencies.
For villagers like Beruka and Balisan, it brought relief and reassurance—fewer difficult journeys downstream, fewer cancelled appointments, and greater peace of mind.
Nanga Tiga Health Clinic is the 16th rural clinic in Sarawak to benefit from this initiative, which began in 2023. So far, PETRONAS has contributed more than RM750,000 in equipment to clinics across the State, with a five-year programme aiming to uplift 26 rural clinics through an RM1.3 million allocation.
More than just a corporate initiative, the partnership between PETRONAS and SABATI is closely aligned with the Sarawak government’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, which emphasises fair and quality healthcare for all, regardless of location or background.
By working hand in hand with the State government, PETRONAS is helping to realise a future where no community is left behind.
Beyond numbers and equipment, this effort carries something far more powerful. It delivers dignity to communities that have long persevered in silence. It assures them that even in the remotest corners, their lives and health matter.
In the hills of Betong, hope no longer feels out of reach. It now sits inside the Nanga Tiga Health Clinic, where every new tool, every improved service, and every act of care echoes a simple truth: the people here are no less deserving of quality healthcare. — DayakDaily
