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BETONG, Nov 16: Sarawak's Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas insisted that the time has come for Betong Hospital to be upgraded to a Specialist Hospital to meet the increasing health service needs of the local population.

According to him, the official application to upgrade the hospital has been submitted before and the matter should be given serious attention by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (KKM).

Uggah said that the Betong Hospital, which was built in 1991, was no longer able to accommodate the current treatment needs, especially when patients from Betong had to be referred to hospitals in Kuching, Sri Aman and Sarikei which were also facing overcrowding.

"The time has come for the federal government through the Ministry of Health to upgrade Betong Hospital. This hospital was built in 1991 when I was still a Member of Parliament. Now, patients have to be referred to Kuching, Sri Aman and Sarikei, and those hospitals are also overcrowded," he said.

He said this when met after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Spaoh Health Clinic and Hemodialysis Center today.

According to him, further discussions with the Sarawak State Health Director will be held to ensure that the need to upgrade Betong Hospital can be presented in more detail to the Federal Government.

He added that the increase in the number of patients in the Betong area makes the process of upgrading the health facilities an urgent need for the well-being of the people.

Earlier, Uggah also attended the ground-breaking ceremony of Spaoh Health Clinic and Hemodialysis Center which is worth RM41.2 million. The project is described as an important development for the people of Spaoh and the surrounding area.

The hemodialysis clinic and center was implemented through Sarawak government allocations under the Betong Divisional Development Agency (BDDA) with the support of the Federal government through the Ministry of Health.

This project is implemented through three main phases with the first phase involving the construction of a Type 6 Health Clinic equipped with additional radiology, dental, rehabilitation and pharmacy store blocks, including Class G quarters facilities and support buildings to ensure that primary care services can be carried out more comprehensively.

The second phase focuses on the construction of quarters 8F and 16G as accommodation facilities for health personnel to support more efficient daily operations.

The third phase involves the construction of a new Hemodialysis Center complete with 10 units of treatment machines, thus making it easier for patients to receive treatment closer without having to commute to other cities.

Built on a site of approximately 4 hectares, the project will house a modern and functional main clinic block, followed by a hemodialysis center and quarters for health workers.

When fully completed, this facility will improve health access, increase treatment capacity, reduce patient congestion and provide a more comfortable and patient-centered modern treatment environment. It is a long-term investment towards improving the quality of life and well-being of the people of Spaoh.-TVS