Mar
23
2009
|
High global demand leads to shortage of medicine |
|
Monday, 23 March 2009 |
Ubaidillah Masli
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Sunday, March 22, 2009
HIGH demand for medicine, shortage of staff and the rising cost of health services were among the explanations to various queries put forth by Council Members to the Ministry of Health during yesterday's session of the State Legislative Council (LegCo) Meeting.
In response to a question posed by Temburong representative Hj Sulaiman Hj Ahad, concerning the recent shortages in legal drugs, Health Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said that drug shortages occur from time to time, mainly because of problems with the delivery of the pharmaceuticals.
The minister said that the process of importing medicine was difficult because of the high global demand.
Since Brunei is a small market in relation to other countries, these suppliers might not give priority to the Sultanate, the minister said.
He also explained that the demand for drugs in Brunei was quite high, with the National Standard Drug List (NSDL) surpassing that of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, thus another reason for the shortage in stock.
Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi said one of the solutions would be to buy directly from regional distributors which can be facilitated through the e-health programme once it is operational in two years' time.
Appointed Council Member Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin raised the issue of how the budget allocation for the purchase of medicine has increased.
He said that the budget has increased by $10 million this year, from $30 to $40 million.
"This means the number of people falling ill has increased," he said, reminding the council that a healthy population is the nation's asset.
To reduce the government's expenditure in the area of health, Pehin Dato Goh suggested that an insurance scheme for foreign workers should be introduced, as well as stressing the need for more health promotion activities. The scheme, known as Medi-Care, will not only benefit the people, but also insurance companies.
Council Members also voiced out their concerns over lack of doctors, nurses and other medical staff at health centres around the country. Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi noted their concerns, but explained that there were not enough staff for all these centres, although he said the ministry would look into the matter to find a solution.
Another issue discussed was regarding the insufficient number of parking spaces at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (Ripas) Hospital.
The minister said that the hospital had the capacity to accommodate 1,500 cars.
However, due to the growing number of patients, the car parks are usually full, he said. To reduce this congestion, the minister said that the ministry is looking over the feasibility of introducing a parking building near the hospital.
Appointed Council Member Dato Paduka Hj Yunos Mohd Noh asked the minister whether the proposed Women and Child block at the Ripas hospital would serve patients better if it were to be located at a different site, other than the hospital since the area is quite congested.
The minister in response to the question raised that this would hinder accessibility to staff and facilities from Ripas Hospital.
"If the block is a stand-alone building, the doctors and staff would have to be replicated," he said, adding once more, that there is just not enough medical staff to do that.
The debate took place yesterday during the sixth day of the fifth session of the State Legislative Council Meeting.
The Brunei Times
|
|
Mar
23
2009
|
Govt seeks to lure more locals to become doctors |
|
Monday, 23 March 2009 |
Ubaidillah Masli
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Sunday, March 22, 2009
THE Ministry of Health is revising its scheme of service for doctors as part of efforts to increase the country's manpower in health services, an issue which was heavily debated during the sixth day of the fifth State Legislative Council meeting.
Council members yesterday raised numerous motions when the ministry came under view, with a majority of them voicing out the need for more general practitioners at health centres in Brunei, to which the health minister answered that the Sultanate does not have enough doctors.
Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman shared these plans with The Brunei Times yesterday after the meeting. He explained that the revision of the service scheme would attract more people to take up the profession in the Sultanate.
With a number of Bruneians currently studying abroad in the field of medicine, it will take some time before the high demand for doctors is met.
"We can only produce so much (doctors) in one year," he said, adding that the course to obtain a degree in medicine is a difficult one.
During the meeting, Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi disclosed that the Sultanate has some 427 doctors, with locals comprising more than 100. He went on to say that the country also needs more specialists, noting that there are only 35 local specialists.
However, he said that these figures often changes as some of the medical officers leave to continue their studies or for other reasons.
Therefore, the minister said, the short-term solution would be to employ the services of foreign doctors. He also said that Brunei is not alone in facing this shortage of human resources as the rest of the world are also experiencing the same problem.
However, he noted that Brunei was quite fortunate as the country is able to keep its doctors as opposed to other nations where better job offers abroad cause these doctors to migrate elsewhere.
Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi said that the revision of the service scheme would see doctors in Brunei earning wages which are directly proportional to the amount of work they put in.
Among the incentives for locals to take up the profession in Brunei, he said, included the possibility of getting sent abroad to attend conferences and courses, in order to gain more knowledge and enhance their skills. The future generation is also in the ministry's sights, as it aims to encourage them to explore careers in medicine through regular school visits and health promotion programmes.
These are some of the ministry's efforts to ensure future human resources are sufficient to meet the ever-growing demand for doctors, he said.
The Brunei Times |
|
Mar
23
2009
|
It's up to telco companies to resolve poor mobile phone signal |
|
Monday, 23 March 2009 |
By Azaraimy HH
 Minister of Communications, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Awang Abu Bakar. - Jason Leong
Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Awang Abu Bakar assured council members during yesterday's Legislative Council session that the telco companies are aware of this problem.
However, he said that telco companies will first have to take into account if they will see positive returns of their investments in those areas before building new towers to improve network coverage.
With regards to locals residing at the borderline who "accidentally" pick up Malaysian network signals instead of those from Brunei, the minister said that people can easily resolve this by switching their mobile phone to "manual network search".
The Ministry of Communications is aware of this matter and is negotiating with neighbouring states to resolve it, he said, adding that this problem was not only experienced by people on Brunei's side of the border but also those who are at the Malaysian side, too.
It was learnt that telco companies of both countries were taking measures to resolve this such as reducing the signal level to three kilometres at the borderline.
Pehin Dato Hj Awang Abu Bakar, meanwhile, pointed out that prices set by local telco companies have improved since the "liberalisation" of the telecommunications industry in Brunei.
The Sultanate now has two mobile service providers and the competition has effectively brought down the charges.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin - March 22, 2009 |
|
Mar
23
2009
|
Spotlight on development issues |
|
Monday, 23 March 2009 |
By Aziz Idris
 Minister of Development, Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar
Council member Dato Paduka Hj Idris bin Hj Abas said there was a need to call upon an establishment of an organisation under new laws for architect and engineers to register on the board to give out licence to its members.
The Minister of Development, Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, said the Board or Act has been issued and now the Ministry of Development is examining the issues with new rules and regulations.
Dato Paduka Awg Hj Puasa bin Orang Kaya Seri Pahlawan Tudin, a council member, raised the issue on the road conditions from Telisai to Lumut, which is a one-lane road, thus slowing down traffic and raised the issue of public safety during accidents or obstruction by slow trucks on the road.
He suggested a dual carriageway to be constructed to connect from the dual carriageway in Telisai and hopes that the construction will start as soon as possible.
 Minister of Development, Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar
In response, the minister said that a dam will be built at the top of the river at the end of Mukim Sengkurong, from Ban 4 and Ban 6, to reduce flooding in the area.
Meanwhile, the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) is following up on the tender regarding the construction of the dual carriageway.
The three-junction point near the Brunei Methanol Consortium is to be changed into a four-junction connecting Simpang 766, Jalan Kg Sungai Lalit, for the comfort of villages in the area.
The minister said the matter has been forwarded to BEDB who has already been notified to construct the road junctions.
ON PARKING NEAR YAYASAN COMPLEX
Matters regarding the greatly inadequate car park for residents in Kg Perpindahan Bolkiah 'A' and Kg Buang Sakar were also mentioned, where haphazard parking by residents posed a danger to others.
On cooperation from the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Shopping Complex car park, the matter will be looked into.
ON CHUNG HWA JAM
Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin spoke on land issues, regarding a proposal to build a flyover (bridge) from the Chung Hwa School near the Sheraton Utama Hotel across the parking lot. Issues involved TOL land in future planning.
On another issue, it was asserted that residents are not allowed to buy land but via the power of attorney. The Legislative Council also delved into housing applications, which needed to be sped up.
ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
With climate change and global warming being prime issues, more forum is needed to find solutions, especially in environmental impact assessment thus calling for the ministry to study a National Environment Act.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin - March 22, 2009 |
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 23 March 2009 )
|
|
Mar
19
2009
|
Heated debate on building tax |
|
Thursday, 19 March 2009 |
By Azlan Othman
 YB Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Awg Adanan, Minister of Home Affairs
They also called on the need for the tax to be paid in stages to lessen the burden of building owners and said many unsatisfied building owners who have submitted their queries before the March 21 deadline are still waiting for response from the Municipal Department.
In addition, tax for entrance road and street lighting should not be imposed as they are inappropriate and are for public use. Facilities like tax on sewerage and rubbish collection should not be made as building owners have their own service.
 Overview of the Legislative Council in session. - PHOTOS: JASON LEONG
However at the moment, the building tax is up to a maximum of 12 per cent and this depends on the services provided in the area such as road entrance (2 per cent), water services (2 per cent), sewerage (2 per cent) and so on.
If a building owner subscribes to the rubbish collection service, then the one per cent rate to collect rubbish will be exempted in the taxation process. In general, this depends on the facilities provided by the building owner.
As reported in the media, road shows have been held at new areas of BSB and the first phase will concentrate on commercial buildings including rented units. Tax will not be done imposed on accommodation areas, but will be done on commercial areas. Notices have been issued to building owners.
Pehin Dato Hj Adanan also said that the tax has long been imposed in the old BSB area. But in the long-term, the tax system will be reviewed as a conventional method is being used in the old BSB area. We will use the best practice tax system used in other countries. A task force has been set up and we have an expert doing the evaluation, he added.
On the issue of tax payment in stages, the minister said there is an allocation for the tax to be paid twice a year. On the issue of building owners yet to receive feedbacks from the Municipal Department, the minister said the matter would be looked into.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin - March 18, 2009 |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 March 2009 )
|
|
Mar
19
2009
|
Millions of dollars invested in dodgy schemes |
|
Thursday, 19 March 2009 |
|
By Sonia K. & P. Marilyn
 Deliberations continued among the ministers and council members yesterday at the 5th Legislative Council session.
Questions that were raised during the meeting touched on illegal investment schemes or 'get-rich-quick' scams, energy research projects, unemployment and improvement in electricity supply.
Orang Kaya Jaya Putera Dato Paduka Awang Haji Muhammad Taha bin Abd Rauf, a council member, brought up the issue of get-rich-quick scams and unlicensed investment schemes. He asked how serious the problem is and how many Bruneians have been caught involved in these schemes.
He asked how much money was involved in these cases and what the authorities are doing to curb the problem.
Minister of Finance II, Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim, answering the query, said he cannot give specific information on the matter but the ministry is aware that millions of dollars are known to be involved in these schemes.
That is why the Ministry of Finance, from time to time, issues press releases or holds forums and briefings to educate the public on such money-making schemes.
The ministry tries its best to ensure that the public do not get "pulled into" unlicensed deposit-taking schemes, he said.
He said it is important for the public to be wary of such schemes because what is usually promised to investors - higher returns - usually involves higher risks.
He advised people, who want to invest in these schemes, to first consult the Ministry of Finance or financial institutions regarding the status of the companies offering the investment schemes.
Meanwhile, council member Dato Paduka Awg Haji Yunos bin Mohd Noh, asked several questions to the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Awg Haji Mohammad bin Haji Daud, on vacancies in the government sector and the country's unemployment figures.
He said there are about 7,000 vacant positions in various ministries in the government sector but the country still has an unemployment figure of more than 7,000.
He also commented on the long wait for applicants to be called for interviews for jobs in the government sector.
The Minister of Energy, in his response, said the Civil Service Commission or Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam (SPA) is currently taking the initiative to fill the vacancies by appointing "rapidly".
The reason for the delay in interviews involves a number of factors, which are not under the jurisdiction of the SPA. This is because before an appointment is made, it has to undergo various processes and information has to be checked properly to ensure that the applicant is appropriate for the post and has the relevant qualifications. This takes time because it is not done by SPA alone but involves various government agencies, said the minister.
On electrical services, council member Dato Paduka Awang Haji Idris bin Haji Abas raised the issue of energy conservation as energy is needed in daily activities.
He said Brunei should make an effort to conduct research on energy conservation and management, and renewable energy.
Dato Paduka Awang Haji Idris said, from his understanding, UBD is currently applying for funding for six energy research projects. The projects are estimated to cost a total of B$14 million.
The council member said he supported these science and technology research projects and hoped that the budget for the projects will be approved.
Council member Haji Mohd Shafiee bin Ahmad too supported the idea of research on alternative energy.
He said alternative energy such as solar power is something that Brunei can adopt or look in to.
He also asked when the Electrical Services Department in Kuala Belait will be able to curb electricity interruptions experienced in the area.
He said that Seria also experienced electricity interruptions.
He asked if more electricity capacity will be added to strengthen the energy supply in Kuala Belait.
In response, the Minister of Energy said several plans have been carried out to improve the electricity supply, especially in Seria.
The Electrical Services Department has also picked a new consultant and the advertisement for tenders for the project will be out in May this year.
Hopefully this project will begin in July this year, the minister said, so that the situation can improve soon.
Another significant issue raised by council member Haji Mohd Shafiee bin Ahmad to the Minister of Energy relates to the employment of foreigners in high positions with the local oil industry.
He urged the Petroleum Unit to investigate why fewer locals are employed in such posts and to not just settle for the reason that locals are less capable and less experienced in filling these positions.
The Minister of Energy said that the Petroleum Unit has always carried out investigations on this matter.
The outcome is reflected in the increase in locals holding senior positions in the oil industry. The minister cited an example whereby as of March 2009, 57.7 per cent locals filled senior positions at Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd compared to in the year 2000 when only 17 out of 43 locals held senior positions.
During the deliberations, the Minister of Finance was asked by a representative to give a brief overview of the budget allocation for the Ministry of Defence this year.
Just like the previous years, the budget allocated for defence takes into account the responsibilities of the defence force and the duties that have been entrusted to the Ministry of Defence that can be seen as more challenging year after year.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin - March 18, 2009
|
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 March 2009 )
|
|
|
