Materia Medica Malaysiana

Utusan Malaysia Online - Health bits

Sarawak strives to achieve drug-free state status... In KUCHING, Assistant Minister of Housing Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen said on Sunday that Sarawak wants to be the first state to be declared free of drug problems, ahead of the country's 2015 target.

"We want to achieve 100 percent success and aim towards achieving zero defect," he said at a seminar on drug prevention and education for the Kuching division Rukun Tetangga here.

"This may be a bold step forward but with commitment from the public and private sectors, God willing, we can achieve our target.

"Malaysians from all walks of life must pledge from today onwards to fight drug abuse at home, schools and other places commonly associated with drugs," he said.

Abang Abdul Rauf said there must be ongoing awareness campaigns by community leaders, church leaders, muslim religious teachers, non-governmental organisations and professionals to combat drug abuse.

He said there was an increase of 63 drug abuse cases or 25 percent last year from only 243 in 2001.

Although Sarawak registered the lowest statistics, the government and all levels of society must not rest on their laurels in efforts to fight drug problems, he said.

The anti-drug agencies had to constantly review the approaches used to stop drugs from making their way into the state through the Sarawak and Kalimantan border and parents must monitor their children's movements and ensure that they had the right kind of influences, he added.

KT outpatient treatment only at Health Clinic... In KUALA TERENGGANU, those seeking outpatient treatment in the city will no longer be entertained at the Kuala Terengganu Hospital (HKT) and should instead go to the District Health Clinic.

State Health director Datuk Zahari Che Dan said since April, HKT only catered for the needs of surgical patients.

All surgeries previously carried out in various departments at the hospital would be centralised in the new RM56 million centre, he told reporters after launching the "Keranamu Malaysia, Hidup Sihat Sejahtera" programme at state level here on Sunday.

Earlier in his speech, Zahari said the Terengganu people were fortunate as the government had provided them complete health facilities with six hospitals, 42 health clinics and 130 rural clinics.

"The number of health personnel has also been raised, and currently some 5,700 are serving in the state," he said.