New Bakun-Murum clinic to benefit 13,000 residents

PUTRAJAYA: A new Bakun-Murum clinic will be built under a collaboration between the health ministry and Sarawak Energy to improve access to healthcare for residents in the remote parts of Sarawak.

Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the facility is expected to benefit 12,992 residents across 102 settlements in the area, where access to healthcare services has long been a challenge.

He said many residents currently need to travel up to 60km to reach the nearest clinic, while those requiring hospital treatment must travel as far as 208km to Bintulu Hospital.

“The ministry is determined to close this gap,” he said at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between both parties here today.

The new clinic will be funded through Sarawak Energy’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme and will include a Type 6-7 health facility, staff quarters and other supporting infrastructure.

Dzulkefly described the initiative as a model CSR collaboration and urged other corporations to support similar efforts.

“This CSR initiative by Sarawak Energy should serve as a model for others.”

He also called for regular monitoring of the project’s progress to ensure it is delivered as scheduled.

“We want the project to be handed over by 2028, with no excuses and no compromise on quality,” he said.

Dzulkefly said the ministry will begin planning manpower deployment once the project reaches 75% completion to ensure services can start immediately upon opening.

Currently, the existing Bakun clinic operates from a Sarawak Energy building and is staffed by an assistant medical officer and a community nurse, handling hundreds of outpatient and maternal health cases annually.