Materia Medica Malaysiana

Medical aid for islanders

KOTA KINABALU: An outreach project to provide medical aid to communities in islands off Sabah was launched by Mercy Malaysia in a first joint effort with the Royal Malaysian Navy.

About 13 volunteers, including five doctors, sailed off on KD Gaya on a four-day trip to provide healthcare to over 1,000 people on Pulau Mantanani and Pulau Balambangan at the north of Sabah.

Navy chief Laksamana Datuk Seri Mohd Anwar Mohd Noor, who launched the “Sabah Island Relief Project,” described it as an opportunity for the navy to broaden its services in the country.

“This is an extension of our role of providing security to the nation,” he said before seeing off the volunteers at the marine police jetty here yesterday.

“The navy not only provides a safe and dependable means of transport but also ensures the security of our volunteers,” she added.

The volunteers, led by Mercy Malaysia vice-president Dr Mohamed Ikram Mohammed Salleh, will conduct health awareness programmes and medical examinations covering health screening, dental screening and deworming.

Medicines were provided by Pharmaniaga Berhad.

The islanders would normally have to take a three-hour boat ride to the mainland to reach the nearest medical facility and most of them only seek treatment in emergencies.

“The project introduces these communities to a standard of living typical for town dwellers and healthcare can be received on a regular basis,” Dr Jemilah said.

She said she hoped it would raise not only health standards of the islanders but also their living conditions.