MIRI: Sarawak has been urged to provide mobile laboratory facilities at the many entry points in the vast state to conduct on-the-spot health checks.

Miri MP Dr Teo Yu Keng said Miri, for example, was a major entry point into Sarawak for foreigners coming in from Brunei as well as including China nationals flying in from the republic via Brunei.

"At the moment, Miri has only one quarantine and isolation ward facility at the Miri Hospital.

"There are no such facilities at the Brunei-Miri entry point at Sungai Tujuh.

"It will be good if the health authorities get ready mobile lab facilities that can facilitate instant comprehensive health checks for foreigners entering en masse through our border entry points," he told The Star on Friday (Jan 31).

Dr Teo said in view of the current novel coronovirus (2019-nCoV) scare, it will be essential to thoroughly screen all foreigners coming into Miri, especially those from China.

Sg Tujuh is the only land entry point from Brunei.

Brunei has daily direct flights into mainland China and Hong Kong.

About 30,000 foreigners enter Miri daily from Brunei and the number surges from Friday to Sunday.

Dr Teo said there are sophisticated mobile lab facilities in developed countries that can give accurate and immediate health checks.

"Since Sarawak is vast and has many entry points, it will be good for the state to get such facilities and have them ready at these checkpoints," he said.

He added that there was no need for panic among locals despite the spike in coronavirus infections worldwide.



