THE horrendous condition of roads and bridges in interior northern Sarawak nearly claimed the life of a seriously ill villager in the Long Bedian settlement in remote Baram which has been cut off from the outside world for days.
It was the swift and efficient response of Long Bedian Clinic staff and the helicopter emergency team from Miri Hospital that saw the villager airlifted from his longhouse and flown quickly to Miri Hospital that saved his life.
The road from Long Bedian to Miri is in very bad shape with a key log bridge having collapsed into the river (see pic).
Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) today praised the medical and health personnel of Long Bedian Clinic and Miri Hospital helicopter unit for responding fast to the emergency.
Scrips Northern Sarawak coordinator Michael Ding told The Vibes today that the Long Bedian villager was stricken by serious illness and his family had tried to transport him to Miri Hospital (which is about 300 km away).
"However, the road leading from Long Bedian to Miri was like a river of mud and a bridge link along the route had collapsed.
"It has been like this for days and no one has repaired the bridge or the road.
"The condition of the sickly elderly man became worse and the family sought the help of Long Bedian Clinic staff and they immediately contacted the emergency unit of Miri Hospital,” he said.
A helicopter was swiftly deployed from Miri Hospital to Long Bedian and they immediately airlifted him to the Miri Hospital emergency unit.
"From the information I received, he is receiving treatment now," said Ding.
He once again appealed to the elected representatives and to the Public Works Department to do something urgent about the increasingly deteriorating conditions of the Baram roads and bridges.
"It is not even the landas season (monsoon) yet but already the roads and bridges are in such horrible conditions.
"When the rainy season comes in full force, it will be even worse," he exclaimed.
The Baram parliamentary seat and the three state constituencies of Telang Usan, Marudi and Mulu are controlled by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak ruling state government. - October 8, 2024
