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Sunday, 07 October 2007 |
The Situation
 On the islands off the coasts of Sabah, live many communities that are isolated from basic medical facilities enjoyed by people on the mainland. They have to journey far and for many hours on their small boats to reach the nearest district clinic. These are people who earn meager means and cannot afford the ride unless the situation is urgent. Taking this boat to a medical facility would normally mean that the patient’s condition is quite critical and is in dire need of medical treatment.
Our Response
 This project is a collaborative effort with the Royal Malaysian Navy, who provided us safe journey to these remote islands, such as Pulau Mantanani Besar and Pulau Balambangan.
Similar to the aims in providing medical care and attention to the indigenous communities living in the jungles, MERCY Malaysia hopes that this outreach project will introduce a standard of healthcare that is comparable to others in the state.
On these islands, our volunteers conducted health awareness programmes and medical examinations, covering health screening, dental screening and deworming. These clinics were held in village schools, where MERCY Malaysia also donated toys and dispensed medicine donated by Pharmaniaga Berhad.
 The Sabah Island "Hearts and Minds" Project reached 800 people in Pulau Mantanani and 250 in Pulau Balambangan. A total of 26 MERCY Malaysia volunteers braved the seas on the Royal Malaysian Navy ship to provide medical care to these communities in 2004.
In 2005, MERCY Malaysia continues to conduct mobile clinics to islands in Sabah.During Harvest Festival in May, an annual celebration by Sabahan to mark the end of the harvest season, MERCY Malaysia conducted a mobile clinic in Tambunan and in July, a clinic was held at Numbak.
 As part of our 2006 Malaysian programme, MERCY Malaysia is currently working together with UNICEF, Pharmaniaga Berhad and Sabah/Labuan Federal Special Task Force to provide healthcare to children in rural communities in Sabah. To date, clinics have been held in Pulau Gaya, Pulau Jambiras and Tawau.
From 8 September to 18 September 2006, a team of 23 MERCY Malaysia’s staff members and volunteers was deployed to execute UNICEF’s 2006 Primary Health Care for Underprivileged Mothers and Children Program in various refugee settlements in Sabah. In collaboration with Sabah and Labuan Federal Task Force, MERCY’s mission team managed to carry out mobile clinics at four different locations; Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Kudat and Labuan.
A number of 1, 646 patients from Tanjung Labian, Kg. Istimewa, Kg. Pengaraban and Pulau Daat were given the much-needed medical services during this visit. In addition to that, MERCY Malaysia also distributed 4, 000 hygiene kits of toothbrush, toothpaste and soap to locals in these areas.
This is MERCY’s fourth mission trip to Sabah, which concluded the project of Primary Health Care for Underprivileged Mothers and Children 2006. Earlier this year, this program was benefited by 1, 868 children and women patients from Pulau Gaya and Sandakan in March, Tawau in May, and Semporna in June.
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