Miri Hospital gets new TB molecular diagnostic machine
MIRI: The rising number of tuberculosis ( TB) cases in Sarawak must not be overlooked, and more advanced technological gadgets are in want for faster diagnosis of the disease.
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Lee Kim Shin, said Miri Hospital was still using the conventional culturing method of detecting the disease.
“The method usually takes longer time to diagnose the disease,” he said after witnessing the presentation of TB molecular diagnostic machine from Miri Chinese Charitable Trust Board represented by its chairman Temenggong Datuk Seri Lee Sie Tong to Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong yesterday.
Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, Pemanca Yong Vui Seng, Kapitan Jee Kee Hiong, and members of Miri Chinese Charitable Trust Board were also present.
Sie Tong said the trust board had managed to raise some funds to buy the RM100,000-machine from Germany for the hospital.
Dr Wong, meanwhile, said 10 to 20 TB cases were detected here every month, while about 100 out of every 100,000 Sarawakians were detected to have caught the disease each year, with some repeated cases.
He also said Miri Hospital was in dire need of service upgrading.
“Miri Hospital is one of the most important medical centres in northern Sarawak as it caters not only Mirians but also people in the northern region.
“Therefore, by upgrading the services by bringing in specialists here, the low income group could get treatment here without having to go all the way to Kuching. This helps to save money and time for the patients.”