Buck up in diabetes management, director tells medical staff
MIRI: Diabetes management at government clinics in Sarawak is still not very satisfactory and remedial measures must be taken, for a much healthy society.
In stating this, state Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim challenged her staff to make improvement the soonest or within seven months before she retires in eight months’ time.
“The national record for diabetes is 18 per cent of the total population of adults 18 years and above while in Sarawak with over 100,000 people, having diabetes is a lot and we have 11 per cent of the total population of adults aged 18 years and above having diabetes, meaning we have about seven or eight per cent in Sarawak not diagnosed or undetected,” she said when officiating at the statelevel assistant medical officers ( PPP) Day 2019 here recently.
She said outreach programmes need to be intensified as early detection and early treatment can ensure better quality of life for patients.
“I challenge you PPPs to have functional situational analysis or approaches, as each case or area has its own peculiarities. Unless you do situational analysis well you will not be able to effectively know the causes of why so many people not healthy, let alone manage the disease well.
“There should not be any shortcut to your work, every staff must be thorough in their examination of patients. Talk effectively also to them and take time especially those with less congestion of patients like in Long Sukang where they treat only about 10 patients a day,” she said.
To the PPPs, she also urged them to live up to the new terms for their post as smart partners of medical officers and other medical staff in ensuring effective delivery of quality health services to the people.
At the same time, she said they must relentlessly strive to equip themselves with new knowledge and skills, in line with the changing globalised world and increased expectation of the people.
High discipline must also be their priority for assured excellence in all fields, including integrity and quality service delivery that will earn the respect and trust of the people, she added.
At the function, she presented awards to six PPPs for excellent service.
They were Lau Hui Kiong who was awarded Anugerah Tokoh Khas PPP Sarawak 2019, John Dendan Ambas (Anugerah Jasa Bakti PPP Sarawak 2019), Stewart Bunchuan (Anugerah Tokoh Harapan PPP Sarawak 2019), Azman Museli (Anugerah Tokoh Harapan PPP Sarawak), Setktor Perubatan, Gurong Wan (Anugerah Tokoh PPT Sarawak), while Twin Johnson Entalai, the head of PPP Sarawak, won the five- star rating, an award given by the National Assistant Medical Board.
Earlier, Twin in his welcoming speech said the celebration, observed from March 5 in the state, starting with blood donation campaigns in Sarikei Hospital and Pusat Jantung Sarawak managed to collect over 100 pints of blood.
At the state- level launch in Miri, a total of 120 PPPs throughout Sarawak attended the celebration which was followed by a colloquium.
Among the objectives of the celebration was to honour contributions of PPPs in ensuring quality health service delivery in the state to inspire them to always strive for excellence.
Among those present were Miri divisional medical officer Veronica Lugah, Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong and head of PPP Miri Hospital Omaramiyah Megah, PPP Association, Sarawak president Simon Blun and organising chairman Stewart Bunchuan.