Lee worried about rising teenage pregnancies
This health clinic provides medical services to patients from Permy Jaya Newtownship, Pujut 7 and up to Kuala Baram. Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture
MIRI: The Tudan Polyclinic here recorded 60 cases of teenage pregnancy from January this year to now involving girls below 16 years old, the youngest being just 14.
Expressing his serious concern at the statistics, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the youngest teenage pregnancy victim registered by the clinic last year was only 13 years old.
“This health clinic provides medical services to patients from Permy Jaya Newtownship, Pujut 7 and up to Kuala Baram.
“Based on the statistics I’ve received from this health clinic, the number of teenage pregnancy cases from these areas is actually quite high in the last few years. However, the number of these cases have slowly dropped, with 200 cases in 2015, 127 cases in 2016 down to 60 cases from January this year until now,” he said at a press conference after chairing the Health Panel Committee meeting at Tudan Polyclinic yesterday.
Although the number of teenage pregnancy has dropped, Lee, who is also chairman of the committee, wanted this matter to be given priority because cases involving underage pregnancy is considered as rape.
He urged local community leaders to be involved in the government’s effort to get to the root of the problem, which is now a matter of concern in the state.
On another matter, he said he was equally concerned about the high number of tuberculosis cases recorded at the health clinic.
“Last year, the tuberculosis cases at the clinic stood at 120 cases.
“For this year, the clinic has received a total of 89 cases from January until to date.
“I’ve been told that most of these patients infected with the disease were smokers.”
In view of that, he stressed on the need for Tudan Polyclinic to continue to conduct and intensify its existing community health outreach programme.
He said the next community health outreach programme would be held on 7 Oct at Tudan Phase 3 and called on those living in the area to come in full force to participate in the programme.
“Apart from public health talk, the people would be able to receive on the spot treatment, basic health screening, dental check and many others.”
At the same time, he told the media that the committee had drawn up a plan on how to brighten up the clinic and beautify its landscape.
He said among the things to do were toplacemore flowerpots, build a therapeutic garden, improve the signage and provide car park for people with disabilities.
Also present was Family Medical Specialist Dr Maurice Steve Utap, who is also deputy chairman of the Tudan Polyclinic Health Panel Committee.