KUCHING, Jan 16 — Minister of Health Dr Zaliha Mustafa said tonight she is aware of the problems with the healthcare in Sarawak after being briefed by the state health director Dr Ooi Choo Huck this morning.

She said the problems included clinics in poor condition, budget deficiency, communication, network issues in rural areas, flying doctors, extended working hours for clinics and many more.

“We are discussing these issues with the relevant departments and ministries because some of the issues need inter-ministerial discussion so that this matter can be addressed,” she said at the 20th-anniversary dinner of the Sarawak Heart Centre here.

Dr Zaliha expressed her gratitude to the state Health Department for the Covid-19 Vaccination Carnival, where 12,612 second booster doses were successfully given through all divisional health offices, hospitals, government agencies and private health facilities in Sarawak.

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“This is as a measure to improve preparedness to face the possibility of an increase in cases and deaths of Covid-19,” she said, adding that the vaccination will continue on a large scale throughout Sarawak until the end of January 2023.

She also expressed her concern with the increasing number of patients receiving treatment at the heart centre year after year.

“It shows that the efforts in ensuring that the people care about their health and ensuring that wellness and preventive medicine is the way of lifestyle is not being practised,” she added.

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Among those attending the dinner were state Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, Deputy Premier Datuk Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Suani.