Sibu Hospital: Nursing home needed for patients with mental illness

Lau (fourth from left) presenting a souvenir to Dr Annuar while others look on.

A nursing home is needed in Sibu, Sarawak, to care for patients with mental illness, says Sibu Hospital psychiatric visitors board chairman Kapitan Peter Lau Ik Yang.

He said such homes also gave mental patients a chance to acquire living skills such as learning to be independent and crafting.

“Not all patients with mental illness require 24-hour monitoring by nurses and doctors.

“Sometimes, they only need minimal monitoring and they don’t necessarily need to stay in a hospital for medical treatment and that is where a nursing home comes in,” he said at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering organised by the board.

Lau hopes that the government would consider this initiative.

He suggested working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to realise the goal of a nursing home for patients with mental illness.

Elsewhere, Nangka assemblyman Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said Sibu Hospital faced shortage of psychiatrists.

He said the hospital currently had only six doctors working in the psychiatric ward.

Based on the current workload, Dr Annuar said the hospital needed at least eight doctors.

“The number of doctors, I was told, is decreasing and the workload is increasing.

“However, the doctors are not only working in this hospital but also travel around the central region except for Sarikei and Mukah.

“Sarikei has its own psychiatrists, while Mukah is covered by Bintulu,” he elaborated.

Also present at the event was Sibu Hospital director Dr Nanthakumar Thirunavukkarasu.