Introduction
Occupational and environmental health section in Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Sarawak is established since 1983.
Our main objectives are to:
(1) Promote safety and health in the healthcare facilities
(2) Provide occupational safety and health services to healthcare facilities
(4) Provide Institutional Health Risk Assessment.
The section is further subdivided into Occupational Health and Safety unit, Environmental Health Unit and Healthy City unit.
Occupational Safety and Health Unit
The main objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health unit are:
• Promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being among healthcare workers
• Provide medical surveillance for healthcare workers
• Provide safety and health information, training and education for the healthcare workers
• Carry out safety and health audits in healthcare facilities.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, enforced by Department of Safety and Health (DOSH), provide the legal framework for this programme. Currently, the programmes run by OSH unit include:
• Sharp Injuries Surveillance (SIS) Programme
• Notification of Accidents, occupational injury, occupational disease and occupational poisoning
• Safety and health committee (at various healthcare facilities)
• QA programme for Needle Stick Injury
• Hepatitis B vaccination programme for healthcare workers
• Health screening programme among healthcare workers
• OSH training programme
• Safety and health audit to the healthcare facilities.
Even though the services are offered mainly for healthcare workers, we are planning to expand our services to the public especially in terms of health promotion in the workplace and medical surveillance. For that reason, an Occupational Health Clinic has been established at Klinik Kesihatan Kota Sentosa in Kuching. The services provided include medical surveillance; diagnosis and treatment of occupational diseases and injuries; and workplace risk assessment. It is the plan to set up more Occupational Health Clinics in other area of Sarawak to cater for the OH needs of the State.
The Occupational Health Unit in Sarawak State Health Office has been designated an ILO-CIS Collaborating Centre ( International Occupational Safety and Health Information Collaborating Centre) for the promotion and dissemination of Occupational Safety and Health Information in the region.
Environmental Health Unit
The Environmental Health component aims to promote a healthy environment by identifying, assessing and improving the environment through health promotion, protection and prevention on environmental-related diseases.
Currently, the main task of this unit is to conduct regular institutional risk assessment at various institutions such as Kem Latihan Khidmat Negara , prisons and detention camps in the State. Previously, the unit also offer expertise in disaster preparedness and management such as haze surveillance, flood and landslide. This component is currently relocated to the CPRC section.
Another major objective covers under environmental health unit is to involve in the planning of Healthy City/Township, together with State Planning Unit, and implementing Health Setting Initiative in various workplaces in healthcare facilities. The details will be covered under the Healthy City / Healthy Setting Unit.
Healthy City/Healthy Settings Unit
The objective of this unit, through the implementation of Healthy City , is to enable the stakeholders to create and maintain the healthy urban environment through economical, social, spiritual and physical approach.
The most significant achievement accomplished by the unit is through the launching of Kuching Healthy City Project in 1994. Functioning as the technical secretariat of Healthy City Kuching project, we are actively promoting health on the agenda of decision-makers in urban area. Several officials from the unit have been serving as Kuching Healthy City Core Team members from the time of its inception in 1994. These officials have also served the World Health Organization as short-term consultants to various cities in the Western Pacific Region, and temporary advisors as well as paper presenters at various international meetings and workshops.
Our unit is also actively embarking on Healthy Settings projects such as Healthy Village , Healthy Market and Healthy Clinic approach. Health facilities are encouraged to adopt the Healthy Settings approach to improve the safety, health and well-being of their respective workplaces. For detail on Kuching Healthy City initiative, please go to official webpage: http://www.healthycity.sarawak.gov.my