KUCHING: Good road networks are essential towards uplifting the standard of living of the people particularly in the rural areas, said Assistant Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil.
This would provide better access to education, health facilities, marketing of agricultural produce and many more, he said in a statement yesterday.
Penguang, who is also Marudi assemblyman, said efforts were ongoing to upgrade existing road networks in his constituency.
“I have secured a sizeable amount of funding from the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to upgrade the existing road networks in Marudi.
“This includes the Lapok Long Tisam Road, Long Lama Peking Road, Ulu Teru as well as a new and better road alignment to Marudi and all the way to Long Terawan and perhaps to Ng Melinau in the not too distant future,” he added.
Penguang explained that adequate road networks around the area should ease the process of obtaining medical treatment for its residents, adding that there should not be any case of severe illnesses in need of medical treatment that go untreated in Marudi.
He was alluding to a case where a female kidney dialysis patient from a rural area had passed away after failing to receive haemodialysis treatment due to a misunderstanding of the MCO travel restrictions.
The assistant minister said most of Marudi areas are served with good road networks aside from its interior and upper reaches which are still making use of gravel roads.
Additionally, Penguang noted that the number of dialysis machines in Marudi Hospital was sufficient to treat existing patients in the area.
“Marudi Hospital has six units of Dialysis machines. At the moment only five are functioning. As of now, these five units are sufficient to serve the existing number of patients in Marudi District while those patients from Beluru Disrict have to go to Miri.
“I am saddened by what happened. As far as I am concerned, the operations in critical services such as hospitals and dialysis centres should be in business as usual. We cannot afford to gamble with some one’s life,” he said.
