SARAWAKIANS continue to struggle with non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, according to statistics.
Up to last Sept, a total of 150,149 old and newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus cases were registered.
As or hypertension, the cumulative number of diagnosed cases continued to increase from 137,713 cases registered in 2017 to 357,268 cases this year.
Prevalence of hypertension was put at 16.4%.
“We believe many of us do not go for health screening, therefore, are not aware of our sugar level and blood pressure reading.
“We urge the people of Sarawak to go for health screening to know your health status.
“If found to have disease, early treatment can be given and possible complications can be avoided,” Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said in his winding up speech yesterday.
According to Dr Sim, efforts for early detection of NCD at communicable level such as Komuniti Sihat Pembina Negara (Kospen) and early intervention to the high-risk group to prevent complications of NCD are on-going.
Dr Sim said apart from fund received from the Federal Government, the State Health Department also received fund from the State Government.
Through the Sarawak Cabinet Committee, a sum of RM6.01 million has been allocated for the Rural Transformation Initiative Key Result Area 2 on Rural Health Services.
This fund is to repair and upgrade 22 dilapidated rural clinics (RM3.14 million); to establish the second cluster-clinic centred at Klinik Kesihatan Sungai Asap that also involves purchasing new medical equipment and an ambulance (RM700,000); and to procure equipment and vehicles for Rural Clinics Visiting Doctor ((RCVD) teams (RM2.17 million).
According to Dr Sim, the State Health Department is planning to expand the speciality services in minor specialist and district hospitals.
Next year, a physician will be posted to Serian Hospital, an obstetrician and gynaecologist to Sri Aman Hospital and a paediatrician and a physician to Limbang Hospital.
In Bau Hospital, he said, a hospital cluster programme was implemented last Sept to reduce the waiting time for operation theatre procedures.
Since then, a surgical team from Sarawak General Hospital had started performing surgeries and procedures at the hospital, he added.
Dr Sim went on to reveal that of the 13 laboratory confirmed rabies cases, twelve died.
Up to the end of October, all divisions in Sarawak, except Limbang, had been declared as rabies outbreak areas under the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance, 1999.
A total of 20,127 cases of animal bites from the outbreak areas were reported to Sarawak State Department since April 1 2017.
Out of this number, 5,557 cases of high risk bites were given human anti-rabies vaccination.
Dr Sim said a total of 825 awareness campaigns and talks were organised by the Sarawak State Health Department, Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak and the local authorities, which were attended by 138,256 people.
To date, he said, almost a million (915,557) brochures had been distributed to the community and 531 posters and banners placed at strategic locations to create awareness and to continually remind the public.
Sarawak, he said, could be declared free of rabies only if the state remained free of animal and human rabies for a period of at least two years.
