Pos Lenjang to have country's first Orang Asli medical post

LIPIS, May 1 (Bernama) -- The Pos Lenjang Orang Asli Settlement here is set to become a pioneer project for the implementation of the country’s first Orang Asli Medical Post.

The initiative to set up the medical post was initiated by the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations of Malaysia (FPMPAM) through the Drs For All programme, which aims to ensure no one is deprived of medical services.

FPMPAM president Dr Steven Chow said they came up with the idea of setting up the medical post based on their experience of having to travel for almost an hour in a four-wheel drive past logging routes and rivers to reach Pos Lenjang early last year.

“We were told that the medical officer comes by every week as scheduled, but we were worried whether the residents here knew what would happen if there was an emergency, especially at night, and would they be able to reach a clinic immediately?

“So, we felt that it was only fair that we taught them emergency medical treatment and prepare a medical post with basic medication in case of an emergency,” he told Bernama at Kampung Dayok, Pos Lenjang here today.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye launched Drs For All on Jan 10 last year at the Gombak Orang Asli Hospital in Selangor with the aim of conducting a health camp and long-term emergency training for youths in the interior.

Dr Steven also thanked 80-year-old Bahlong Pakdai, the ‘old man’ of Kampung Dayok, for allowing the medical post to be set up on his land, which is situated along the main route of Pos Lenjang.

Dr Steven, who expects the medical post to be completed in three months’ time, added that it would be manned by 14 Orang Asli volunteers, who would be trained with providing emergency treatment and handling minor cases such as wounds, fractures or snake bites, before the victims are taken to hospital.

“For this purpose, we will hold a three-day Orang Asli Medical Training Course here to give exposure to basic emergency treatment. They will attend further courses in Kuala Lumpur in June.

“FPMPAM will return here (Pos Lenjang) to evaluate the volunteers’ ability and skills and choose those who can handle the responsibility of manning the medical post,” he said. 

Dr Steven added that in a bid to increase the volunteers’ skill level, he would discuss with FPMPAM to place them in some of their members’ clinics for a certain period to give them exposure to the real world.

He hoped that should the Pos Lenjang medical post be a success, it would be extended to other Orang Asli settlements, especially those which are far away in the interior and difficult to reach by normal vehicles or ambulance.

Meanwhile, Senator Adrian Lasimbang, who also attended the programme, hoped more private sector firms would assist the government in providing health services to rural communities.

“Health is one of the basic human rights and the government is doing as best as possible to provide health services to the public, yet there are times when we face constraints in terms of budget and access to the locations.

“The willingness of medical practitioners to take part in, share knowledge and create the medical post here is very much appreciated because we know that emergency treatment by the first respondent can help save lives,” he said.

As for Bahlong, he had no qualms about allowing his vacant land, which is situated next to his house, to be turned into a medical post as he was aware that it would benefit the 14 Orang Asli villages in Pos Lenjang.

“I heard that they were looking for a site yesterday, so I immediately agreed...what more when told that our own children will take charge of it. Yes, the health officer does come here every week, but you never know when someone is going to fall sick,” he said.

 -- BERNAMA