By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 13: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has agreed to expand cardiac treatment facilities in Sarawak, including setting up catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) at Miri Hospital and Sibu Hospital, to meet the needs of patients in the State’s rural areas.
In a Suara Sarawak report, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian said the move is crucial as heart disease remains the number one cause of death in Malaysia and requires immediate attention.
Dr Sim stressed that Sarawak must be provided with medical facilities on par with those in Peninsular Malaysia, in line with the State’s vast size and the needs of its people.
“In Peninsular Malaysia, you can find a heart centre every two hours’ drive. But in Sarawak, travelling to Kuching alone takes six to eight hours.
“That’s why we want equivalent facilities so that Sarawakians are not left behind,” he said after officiating the handover ceremony of equipment for the Cardiac Unit at Bintulu Hospital today.
Dr Sim explained that MOH has also agreed to begin installing the cath lab at Miri Hospital, as the hospital’s new block was designed as an ‘empty shell’ that only requires equipment installation and staff training.
At present, specialists from the Sarawak Heart Centre are assisting Miri Hospital through regular outreach programmes, enabling patients in northern Sarawak to receive treatment closer to home.
“After Miri, Sibu will be the next hospital to be equipped with a cath lab. However, its implementation will take time as it requires the training of highly skilled specialists and doctors who are in great demand worldwide,” he said.
Dr Sim said these efforts demonstrate the State government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that Sarawakians have access to quality healthcare without having to depend entirely on facilities in the State capital.
In terms of cost, he elaborated that for patients who have undergone angioplasty, each case costs between RM15,000 and RM20,000, but patients only paid RM200.
If the same procedure were to be carried out in a private hospital, the cost could reach between RM20,000 and RM30,000, as private hospitals need to cover operational, capital, and human resource expenses.
“A single small stent alone cost about RM6,000. However, when it involves saving lives, cost should not be the main consideration. In government hospitals, patients are charged only a minimal fee,” he said. — DayakDaily
