Health Department responds to report on neglected facilities at Tudan clinic
KUCHING: Tudan Health Clinic in Miri has the best health facilities and infrastructure provided by the Ministry of Health for the people in Miri.
The State Health Department said the clinic, which started operations in 2005, is one of the health clinics in Miri which has been integrated by a concession company appointed by the government under the Clinic Support Service Programme since 2014.
“Since then, an allocation of almost RM1.2 million has been provided each year to manage Tudan Health Clinic which encompasses the maintenance and repair works on all equipment, buildings, ambulances and vehicles; cleaning of workspace and environment; and disposal of clinical waste.
“This is to ensure that all equipment and facilities at the clinic are always in tip- top condition and clean so as to ensure smooth delivery of service as well as for the comfort of patients and staff,” the department’s principal assistant director ( health promotion) Aziman Mahdi said in a statement on behalf of State Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim yesterday.
He was responding to a news report by The Borneo Post and its sister paper Utusan Borneo last Friday ( March 10) which reported that most facilities at the nearly 12-year- old clinic have been neglected including chairs, wheelchairs and a children’s playground that were not in prime condition.
Family medical specialist Dr Maurice Steve Utap, who is the head of the clinic, said that the clinic which treats an average of 700 patients per day provided 470 chairs for patients and family members but it was short of chairs during peak hours as some were broken.
He also disclosed that of the 15 wheelchairs at the clinic, some were broken and needed replacing.
To this, Aziman said the wheelchairs will be restored in stages by the concession company. He noted that there were still nine other wheelchairs that were in good condition and this was sufficient to meet current needs.
“On the chairs in the waiting area and children’s playground, they will be replaced in stages based on precedence and financial capability.
“However, the National Youth Skill Institute ( IKBN) in collaboration with the State Health Department has carried out its social responsibility to restore some of the faulty chairs for free,” he remarked, adding that this collaboration also enabled the IKBN trainees to benefit from their experience of repairing the chairs.
On patients waiting outside the clinic where they were exposed to sun and rain, Aziman pointed out that this was only temporary.
“This situation only occurs when there is a sudden inf lux of customers during certain times such as in the morning, especially on Mondays or after public holidays, which causes the queue at the Registration Counter Service to be very long until it reaches the main entrance. However, this will return to normal once patients have registered themselves and move on to the relevant health service units.
“On the other hand, there is also a roofed porch outside the main entrance of Tudan Health Clinic which has been installed with more than 20 chairs to accommodate patients,” he said.
Aziman also noted that in order to reduce congestion during peak hours, an appointment system for patients who required follow- up treatments has been implemented.
“However, acceptance and compliance from patients towards this system still remain low and the State Health Department hopes that all patients will give their cooperation and comply with this appointment system.
“We are also calling for the cooperation of those at the clinic to be more considerate towards special patients such as senior citizens, people with disabilities ( OKU), pregnant mothers and children so that they are given priority in their turns or be given a place to sit at the waiting area,” he said.
He added that the State Health Department remains committed to looking out for the welfare of patients and ensuring that they receive quality service in a comfortable environment.