Dr Annuar Rapaee
SIBU (Oct 3): The taskforce committee that has been proposed to be set up is a step forward towards resolving the issues that beset Sibu Hospital which has been in operation since 1994, said Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Dr Annuar Rapaee
“I proposed this in the meeting yesterday and supported by other medical specialists attending the special meeting with Deputy Health Minister II Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
“I reckon to solve the Sibu Hospital’s issues, the best is to have a long term planning and hence, the need to have a special task committee to be formed.
“Sibu Hospital, which serves areas from as far as Betong, and right up to Bintulu, should be on par like Kuching Hospital (Sarawak General Hospital) not only in terms of facilities, number of doctors, the specialty services but more importantly, the number of doctors and supporting staff should be sufficient.
“Long standing issues like no post available should be resolved immediately. We were told the last review of the nurses post was in 1994 when the hospital started operation,” Dr Annuar told The Borneo Post today.
Noting of such urgency for the taskforce committee to be established, Dr Annuar said he will sit down with the specialists and administrative personnel of Sibu Hospital as soon as possible to discuss further on the proposal.
“This is in order for us to set up this proposed taskforce committee particularly, with regards to the terms of reference, objectives and role. In fact, during the meeting today, we all agreed to make Sibu Hospital a hospital capable of producing future specialists.
“Only in doing so, Sibu Hospital can be well equipped when we are a teaching centre for training future specialists and will also attract doctors to serve in Sibu Hospital,” the Nangka assemblyman, said.
Reiterating that Sibu Hospital covers a vast area and serving a huge population in the central region, Dr Annuar said the hospital is also facing logistical challenges such as road connectivity in its delivery of service to the people.
“Sibu Hospital needs a long term solution, as it covers an area bigger than the southern zone. And yet southern zone has more hospitals which are better equipped.
“With that in my mind, rightly so, Sibu Hospital should be on par with that of Kuching in terms of facilities.
“Therefore, it is my fervent hope that the Ministry of Health (MoH) and with the support of the state government will approve this taskforce to look into the long term solution to address the backwardness of Sibu Hospital for the benefit of people in the central region,” he said.
During the press conference after his visit to the hospital yesterday, Aaron said the proposed taskforce would be centralised in Sibu to be led by Dr Annuar, as part of the efforts to reduce dependency on Kuching for medical services.
“It is still early in discussion stage to set up a taskforce for central region of Sarawak, which will be centralised in Sibu to plan for medical services for the central region to reduce dependency on Kuching (for medical services).
“If we set up a taskforce to arrange for the medical services needed in central region, it will facilitate health services in this area,” Aaron said.