District Health Clinic a boon for rural folk.

RM28.8 million facility caters for people from Nabawan and other sub-districts

By Olivia Miwil 

NABAWAN

olivia@nst.com.my 

WITH his sick daughter and granddaughter in tow, Louis Anahu travelled two hours from his remote village in Kampung Timbau, pensiangan, to reach the district health clinic here recently. 

Before the clinic opened in 2016, most people living in the area had to travel 70 km to the Keningau hospital in the interior of Sabah. 

Rural clinics are run by dressers and nurses. So, to seek treatment from doctors, people from here, as well as the subdistricts of Sook, Pegalungan and Pensiangan, had to travel to Keningau. 

"Now, it is easier with the clinic, the facility is spacious and there are many staff members to serve patients," said Louis, 49, a Murut. 

Prime Minister DatukSeri Najib Razak opened the RM28.8 million facility. 

Najib said the clinic was almost similar to a hospital because the government understood the needs of some 34,000 people living in the surrounding districts and sub-districts, 

"People no longer have to travel to Keningau Hospital for treatment. 

"By the end of this year, a haemodialysis centre will also be set up for kidney patients," he said at a gathering with the people at Nabawan Square after opening the clinic. 

Keningau district health officer Dr Marsudi Manah said the clinic catered to an average of 300 people daily. 

"But during the weekly market or tamu every Wednesday, there will be more people seeking services, such as maternal and childcare, screening and others," he said. 

The Nabawan district health clinic has 87 staff members, including two family medicine specialists, 10 medical officers and three dental officers. 

It has 12 beds for men and women and a 24-hour emergency and trauma unit. 

Marsudi said the furthest area where patients came from was Kabu, near the Sabah-Kalimantan border. 

The clinic also provides mobile service to reach out the community nearby. 

Pensiangan member of parliament Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said the clinic had been long anticipated by the people. 

"Between 2011 and 2015, 4,663 cases from here was referred to keningau hospital, but after the clinic become operational from 2016 last year, the number of referral cases was reduced to 1,678."