Mortality rate due to complications and during childbirth down

KUCHING: The mortality rate of women due to pregnancy complications or during childbirth in Sarawak has dropped from 16.2 cases per 100,000 in 2013 to 9.3 cases per 100,000 in 2017.

State health director Dr Jamilah Hashim disclosed the figures in a press statement yesterday in response to Free Malaysia Today report entitled “Can one mother’s tragic death inspire overdue change to rural Sarawak healthcare?” posted online on Sept 23.

She added that the statistics is lower than the national target of 20 cases per 100,000 and that information on deaths and births in Sarawak is always updated and used as an indicator for health development plan in Sarawak.

“Continuous effort is taken to improve health services to rural Sarawak. To- date there are 275 primary static health facilities and 22 government hospitals throughout Sarawak.

Continuous effort is taken to improve health services to rural Sarawak. To-date there are 275 primary static health facilities and 22 government hospitals throughout Sarawak. Dr Jamilah Hashim, state health director

“Out of the primary static health facilities, 167 are located in rural areas and up to June this year, 76 (45 per cent) of the clinics have full time medical officers,” she said.

The remaining clinics are visited by medical officers monthly or at least once every three months via the Rural Clinic Visiting Doctor (RCVD) programme.

Under the programme, 15 RCVD teams were set up in 2017 and another 10 teams were formed this year.

Dr Jamilah added that besides RCVD and static clinics the Medical Department had also set up Cluster Clinics.

In each cluster, the main clinic has supporting services like pharmacy, rehab, radiology and lab.

In the Telang Usan area the Long Lama Health Clinic operates as the main clinic for cluster clinics in the area while the upgrading of Sungai Asap Health Clinic which is the main clinic for the Belaga cluster is expected to be completed by end of 2018.

Meanwhile, Lawas Hospital has eight medical officers who have been trained for procedures like Casearean and appendicectomy and have served over three years there.

Cases that require specialist input will be referred to the nearest specialist hospital via teleconsultation. Only complicated cases that require full specialist attention will be referred to the Miri Main Specialist Hospital, Limbang Small Specialist Clinic or Women and Child Hospital in Likas, Sabah.