The Kota Sentosa Polyclinic - Overcrowded and understaffed

MAINTAINING GOOD SERVICE: Patients patiently wait for their numbers to be called. This photo was taken before noon at the clinic. — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi.

Polyclinic appeals for help, five doctors and one specialist treating 450 patients daily

KUCHING: The Kota Sentosa Polyclinic, renowned for its good service since its establishment in 2001, is now literally bursting at the seams due to growing volume of patients and worsening traffic due to insufficient parking spaces.

With only 81 medical personnel and supporting staff which include five doctors and one specialist to treat about 450 patients daily, not including those seeking dental treatment, the often long waiting hours for outpatient treatment has forced the health clinic at Jalan Stakan here to limit its maternity patients to about 100 per day.

MORE HECTIC: Lo Khere Chiang MPP Chairman listens to a briefing from Dr Nurul Chief Medical Officer on the conditions faced by medical personnel and the public at the polyclinic.

DIFFICULT: This ambulance has to negotiate the congested road when entering or exiting the premises.

Expectant mothers referred for further check-ups from health clinics in Bengoh, Siburan and Padawan are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday whereas those from the surrounding area are slotted for Monday and Tuesday.

To make matters worse, the clinic has less than 30 proper parking bays for the public, forcing motorists to double-park on roads, which leads to the traffic congestion. Ambulance often faced difficulty when entering or exiting the clinic.

“The long waiting hours has forced the clinic to limit its appointment to about 100 patients per day. With only six nurses and one doctor to treat pregnant women daily, we have to limit patients who seek normal check-ups,” chief medical officer Dr Nurul Azlin Mohd Noh told a press conference here yesterday.

“We try to give the best of service to the community in the shortest time possible while ensuring that we do not miss anything. Complicated cases will be referred to the specialist.

“We proposed to the Health Department each year for the building of more parking lots but until today we are still waiting for their response,” she added.

Padawan Municipal Council chairman Lo Khere Chiang, who chaired the press conference, appealed to the Health Ministry and the state Health Department to seriously look into the matter, especially the parking issue.

“For years, we receive glowing reports from the public that this polyclinic provides efficient service, but unfortunately, it could not cater to the fast increasing population.

“The clinic requires additional medical staff, doctors and parking spaces to meet to the growing population of Kota Sentosa and the surrounding areas, which now stands at 50,000. We are glad, however, to hear that despite the heavy workload, the staff are still giving their best,” he said.

~ The Borneo Post:December 19, 2012