In three-way battle for Mambong, rural healthcare in the spotlight

KUCHING, May 1 — The constituency of Mambong — previously known as Bengoh — is a classic example of the dearth of healthcare facilities in Sarawak, the country’s largest state. With the state election just days away, the cry for better health services has been taken up by all three electoral candidates from the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition DAP and PKR while stumping for support. Central to their campaign is the Siburan rural healthcare clinic, built in 1974 and which is today ill-equipped to cater to the 25,000 people residing in the town of the same name located at Km30 of the Kuching-Serian road, as well as the surrounding villages.