By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 20: The new RM24 million Type 2 Tabuan Jaya Health Clinic is expected to be completed in October 2025 and will be staffed with 148 personnel, including 28 doctors, comprising dentists and one family physician specialist.
Deputy Minister and Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the clinic, part of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) 10th Malaysia Plan under the first Rolling Plan, is expected to serve 800 to 1,000 patients daily.
“It will cater not only to Tabuan Jaya but also to Samarahan, including areas extending to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Stutong.
“After three tenders, the contract was finally awarded in December 2021. The clinic was initially scheduled for completion in June 2024, but additional requirements from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) delayed the opening, with the new completion date set for October 2025,” he said in a post shared on his social media after conducting a visit to the facility on Tuesday (Aug 19).
Dr Sim noted that Tabuan Jaya will be Sarawak’s second Type 2 health clinic, following Petra Jaya Health Clinic. Unlike Petra Jaya, which was locally designed and built to suit Sarawak’s unique needs, Tabuan Jaya follows an MOH pre-approved plan.
“Perhaps future Type 2 clinics in Sarawak should be based on the Petra Jaya design rather than standard MOH plans, to better serve the people. This also underscores the importance of health autonomy for the State,” he added.
The clinic will be staffed with 148 personnel, including 28 doctors, one family physician specialist, and dental staff.
With that, Dr Sim expressed hope that Putrajaya will post enough personnel to fully optimise the facility’s capabilities.
Highlighting broader healthcare challenges, he noted that Sarawak currently has 4,275 hospital beds but needs an additional 1,925 beds, while the State’s 4,614 doctors fall short by 2,649 to meet demand.
“Moreover, there is an urgent need for RM17 billion to upgrade dilapidated hospitals and clinics across Sarawak,” he said.
While the clinic’s opening is eagerly anticipated, Dr Sim acknowledged immediate logistical challenges, including limited parking, as the facility has only 100 public parking spaces despite its capacity to serve up to 1,000 patients daily alongside 148 staff.
He noted that the Tabuan Jaya Health Clinic represents a significant step forward for healthcare in Sarawak, but stressed the need to continue addressing staffing, infrastructure, and logistical challenges to ensure patients receive quality care. — DayakDaily
