He said 1Malaysia mobile clinics were being introduced to ensure that people living in 25 per cent of rural areas in the country which are outside the 25km radius of the nearest health clinics can gain access to health services nearer to their homes.
Mobile clinics had already been introduced by the Health Ministry with 171 air, water and land clinics made available, 60 in the peninsula, 13 in Sabah and 98 in Sarawak which covered more than 1,600 rural villages, he said.
"The 1Malaysia mobile clinic programme is a joint effort by Yayasan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the Health Ministry ...1MDB will provide the buses while the ministry doctors and medicine," he said when launching the inaugural 1Malaysia mobile clinic in Kampung Orang Asli Pos Raya in Gopeng near here Thursday.
Najib said 1Malaysia mobile clinics would be made availabe in Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Johor while the same using boats would be launched in Sarawak next year.
"If this concept (1Malaysia mobile clinics) takes off, we will expand the programme...the government is committed to improving the health delivery system for the people," he stressed.
He said to ensure productive citizens, the government placed particular emphasis to two areas namely health and education.
The 1Malaysia clinic programme launched in January for example, had benefited some 1.2 million patients, he said, adding that 51 1Malaysia clinics had already been made available while 50 more would commence operations next year.
"We will always be there for the people," reiterated Najib, who then announced a RM5 million allocation for rural electrification and builing of a bridge for Orang Asli living in Pos Raya.
Also present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Meanwhile, Liow said the 1Malaysia mobile clinic launched today was different from the ministry's mobile clinics as the services provided by the 1Malaysia mobile clinic were more comprehensive and included the ability to perform minor surgeries.
He said the bus which had been modified into a clinic was equipped with sophisticated facilities and manned by experienced doctors and nurses.
"For a start, four such clinics will be made available in Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Johor...they will operate in 72 locations involving 182 villages.
"In Sarawak, the 1Malaysia clinic in the form of a boat equipped with the same facilities will commence operations along the Baram river sometime early next year," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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