By DayakDaily Team
SIBU, July 3: The federal government should consider engaging with private hospitals if public healthcare facilities are unable to meet demand, ensuring patients with critical heart conditions receive timely treatment instead of facing prolonged waiting periods.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) report, Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said that such an approach would not only reduce patients’ waiting times but also ensure they receive treatment when it is needed.
“We already have cardiology services here. Why not send patients here to undergo coronary angiograms or coronary angioplasty?
“If the federal government is unable to provide cardiology services, it should purchase those services from other providers rather than allowing patients to wait for years,” he said when officiating the launch of the Catheterisation Laboratory (CathLab) and Cardiology Services at Rejang Medical Centre (RMC) here today.
Dr Annuar also said that patients facing long waiting times at government hospitals should be referred to private hospitals so they can receive treatment more quickly.
He described the approach as more cost-effective, as the government would not have to bear the cost of maintaining facilities or deal with the frequent turnover of medical officers.
“Doctors in government hospitals often resign and move elsewhere, whereas specialists in the private sector generally remain in service for longer,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Annuar described the establishment of the CathLab at RMC as a significant milestone that would strengthen cardiac care services in central Sarawak.
He said the facility would enable primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures to be performed immediately on heart attack patients, improving survival rates while benefiting residents in Sibu and surrounding areas, including Kapit, Sarikei, Mukah, and Kanowit. — DayakDaily
