By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 2: The Sarawak government is set to expand its fleet of high-tech mobile ‘dental buses’ for more accessible oral healthcare services, particularly in rural areas.
According to TVS, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said Sarawak currently has eight dental buses under the Mobile Dental Squad operating along the Pan Borneo corridor and coastal areas.
“If we need more, we will purchase additional units. We aim to provide services to rural communities and schools,” he said at the opening ceremony of the 14th Borneo Dental Congress and Trade Exhibition 2026, where his speech was read by Minister for Women, Early Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah here on Friday night (May 1).
He added that in the first year of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), Sarawak is transitioning from strategic planning to physical implementation that directly benefits the people.
Initiatives such as the ‘Kampung Angkat Pergigian’ (Adopted Dental Village) programme, he said, have brought significant benefits to rural communities, including schoolchildren and vulnerable groups.
At the same time, he said digital health transformation efforts are being strengthened through the implementation of the RM10 million cloud-based clinic management system (CCMS), enabling efficient access to patient records across all healthcare facilities through Sarawak ID.
On workforce issues, he said Sarawak has identified the need for 11,000 healthcare positions for seven major hospitals and is pursuing recruitment autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 to ensure the continued quality of the state’s healthcare services. — DayakDaily
