Govt depts, NGO provide assistance to fire victims in Semporna

SEMPORNA: Two government departments’ personnel are currently stationed at the Youth and Sports Hall relief centre here to provide assistance to the 1,087 victims of the Kampung Air Hujung fire.

Among those stationed at the centre were 12 personnel from the Ministry of Health (MOH) to monitor the health aspects of the victims who were placed at the relief centre since the July 31 after the fire destroyed 105 houses and left them homeless.

Semporna district health officer, Dr Shameer Khan Sulaiman said that the personnel stationed at the temporary relief centre were assigned according to the units, namely, medical, contagious disease control and food safety.

“Personnel involved, among others, are responsible to give medical treatments, to ensure food provided safe for consumption and eradicating the infection, as well as carrying out dengue control activities.

“Thus far, we have been giving treatment to four pregnant mothers, immunisation to nine children as well as other medical treatments for 89 victims.

Apart from MOH, the National Registration Department (NRD) through its special mobile unit was also dispatched to the centre to facilitate the victims to apply for the replacement of their birth certificates, identity cards and MyKids that were destroyed in the fire.

NRD assistant registration officer (special mobile unit), Mohd Khajura Faiz Abdul Rashid said there were five applications for birth certificates, Mykid (three) and identification card (five).

Meanwhile, members of Persatuan Rekreasi Intelektual Sihat Sabah (Priss), a nongovernmental organisation, were also giving out assistance in the form of clothing, drinking water and other daily necessities to ease the victims’ burden.

Its deputy president Zarina Ismail said 36 bundles of clothes, 100 boxes of drinking water and blankets were donated to the victims.

On July 31, fire at the Kampung Air Hujung destroyed 105 houses and left 1,087 victims homeless.