SANDAKAN – The villagers of Kg Tangkarason, Beluran, are urgently seeking assistance as the makeshift health clinic in their village has significantly deteriorated in nearly three months since a devastating fire razed the Tangkarason Health Clinic in Beluran.
Speaking to Scoop, Kg Tangkarason resident Ronley Rumimbin, 42, expressed grave concern over the inadequate staffing, equipment, and medical supplies at the makeshift clinic, particularly in emergency situations.
Ronley said before the fire, the clinic had one doctor and three medical assistants. Now, it is left with only one medical assistant and several nurses.
He further explained that the Health Ministry faced challenges in augmenting staff due to the lack of accommodation, as the staff hostel was also destroyed in the fire.
“The remaining medical personnel had to live in vacant houses in the village because the homestay that was promised by the health department to the staff was never approved. The distance between these houses and the temporary clinic is making it difficult for the medical personnel to respond to emergency calls,” Ronley lamented.
Additionally, Ronley highlighted the clinic’s glaring deficiencies in medical equipment and medicines, resulting in the referral of cases to distant healthcare facilities, such as the Sungai-Sungai Clinic and Pitas Hospital, situated 51 km and 29 km away on gravel roads, respectively.
He disclosed that the clinic was ill-equipped to handle critical cases, including injuries from accidents or wildlife encounters requiring stitches.
The blaze on February 15 ravaged the wooden structure of the Tangkarason health clinic and its adjoining staff quarters, severely impacting approximately 3,000 villagers from 13 nearby settlements, including Pulau Jambongan.
Located in the remote interior of Sabah’s Beluran district, Tangkarason is approximately 190 km from Beluran town and 230 km from Sandakan, lacking essential amenities such as treated water and electricity.
Ronley further detailed the dire situation, revealing that the temporary clinic now relies on water from villagers’ private man made ponds, raising concerns about its safety and cleanliness.
He described the dilapidated state of the hall built in 1992, citing leakages during rainfall and deteriorating floorboards, which posed risks to the electricity supply from solar panels.
“The problem is that the road connection in this village is very bad. We (villagers) only use the estate road as our main connecting road, but these roads are often flooded and cannot be used when it rains.
“These roads are also controlled by the security personnel of the estate (Meridian Plantation Sdn Bhd) and it would only open from 6am to 10pm. So if there is an emergency after 10pm, patients can only wait until the gate opens to go to the Pitas Hospital,” he said.
Ronley added that the villagers are most concerned about pregnant mothers, seniors, disabled persons, and those with chronic diseases, as they may need urgent medical treatment at any time.
“I do not wish to blame any party or individual. I just hope to represent the villagers here to point out our problems here, and hope for immediate actions from the relevant parties,” he said.
Following the fire, the Health Ministry allocated RM1.3 million for the reconstruction of the Tangkarason Health Clinic, encompassing both clinic restoration and staff quarters construction at the original site, slated for completion within the year.
As of the latest update, there has been no indication of the beginning of construction at the site. – April 1, 2024