KOTA KINABALU, April 27 (Bernama) -- Ten more clinics at Universiti Malaysia Sabah Hospital (HUMS) are expected to begin operations by June, bringing the total to 15 clinics providing various healthcare services.
Its director, Associate Professor Dr Malehah Mohd Noh, said that so far, five clinics under the HUMS Primary Medical Centre have been operating since March, specifically for Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) staff and the campus community.
She said the five clinics include a family medicine specialist clinic, an obesity clinic, a one-stop diabetic centre, a dietetics clinic and a psychiatry clinic, while the remaining 10 clinics will offer various services, including general medicine, gynaecology and paediatrics.
“We expect all 15 clinics to be fully equipped by the end of May and, if operations run smoothly, to be opened to the public in June,” she told reporters after the launch of the HUMS Primary Medical Centre, officiated by UMS Board of Directors chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan here today.
Dr Malehah said the initial opening to the UMS staff and students is aimed at gathering feedback to ensure service systems, including patient flow and technical facilities, are at an optimal level before being extended to the public.
At present, she said HUMS has more than 700 personnel, which is sufficient to support the initial phase of operations, and the number will be increased gradually as needed before full 24-hour operations are achieved by 2028.
She added that HUMS is also focusing on efforts to produce quality specialist doctors by admitting about 100 medical students each year, with plans to increase the intake to 150 students.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman said the opening of HUMS is expected to help reduce patient waiting times, which are estimated to be up to six hours, for treatment.
He added that the operation of the five clinics in the first phase will help strengthen the health and community well-being agenda through more efficient and comprehensive services.
He said the facility will not only benefit the UMS staff and students but also provide opportunities for the surrounding community to access more systematic and professional primary healthcare services.
“We are improving procedures to reduce bureaucratic hurdles so that patients can receive the best possible services,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
