PAGOH: The Health Ministry plans to relocate rural clinics frequently affected by floods to higher ground to ensure that they can serve the people unimpeded during inundations.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said that a number of rural clinics, or “klinik desa”, are known to be frequently inundated during floods.
"As this is an annual occurrence, we plan to relocate these clinics to safer locations.
“In Johor, for example, the Kampung Tengah clinic in Segamat is always submerged in water during a flood.
"We plan to relocate the clinic, and are currently in the process of identifying a suitable new location. Besides relocating it, we will also upgrade the clinic from a rural clinic to a health clinic type 7, which means that it would offer maternity and outpatient treatment," said Dr Hilmi.
He was speaking to the media after visiting several flood relief centres and medical facilities in Lenga here.
Also present were Johor Health Director Dr Rooshaimi Merican A Rahim Merican, deputy director (public health) Dr Fatimah Othman and Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital director Dr Selahuddeen Abdul Aziz.