Tekek Health Clinic maternity centre King's brainchild

ROMPIN: The maternity centre at Pulau Tioman Tekek Health Clinic was the brainchild of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

Pahang health director Dr Nor Azimi Yunus highlighted this in her briefing during His Majesty's working visit to the island today which included a stop at the Health Clinic.

Dr Nor Azimi said His Majesty proposed the set up of the maternity centre during his visit to Pulau Tioman in March last year, after being informed that none of the residents delivered their babies on the island.

"His Majesty ordered that a maternity centre be established here to facilitate mothers preparing for childbirth without having to travel to Rompin or Mersing (Johor)," she said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah was accompanied on the trip by sons Tengku Panglima Raja Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah and Tengku Arif Bendahara Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Ri'ayatuddin Shah.

Also present were Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Pahang executive council members.

At the event, Al-Sultan Abdullah also handed over a four-wheel-drive ambulance donated by the Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MUIP) and met three expectant mothers who would be among the first to utilise the services at the maternity centre..

Dr Nor Azimi said the establishment of the maternity centre was a collaboration between MUIP, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Pahang state government.

Overall, MUIP has contributed RM2.92 million to the Tekek Health Clinic, of which RM2.37 million covered the assets and RM545,000 was for upgrading works of the clinic building which has been operating since 2003.

Currently, the clinic is run by 38 personnel of various positions who are also overseeing three other rural health clinics in Juara, Genting and Mukut on the island.

Last year, the Tekek Health Clinic attended to 4,580 patients, 35 per cent of whom were tourists.

In addition to outpatient, emergency and maternal and child health services, the Tekek Health Clinic also provides dental services beginning last October, after a dental officer and a dental surgery assistant were permanently assigned there.

Dr Nor Azimi said all health facilities on the island are equipped with MyGovNet integrated telecommunications network and MOH has approved the installation of a more stable broadband to enable video conference consultations in specialist care, adding that the patient management system is paperless.

During the visit, Al-Sultan Abdullah was also briefed on plans to construct a main mosque on Pulau Tioman at the existing mosque site in Kampung Tekek, which can accommodate 761 worshippers.

His Majesty also presented donations to 41 Pulau Tioman residents before leaving for a community feast at a resort here.

-- BERNAMA