He said the college, costing about RM 60 million, would have the capability of training 1,600 trainees at one time and it would be built in Kuching.

Dato' Seri Tiong announced this after receiving the reply by Parliament Secretary of the Health Ministry S.Sothinathan at the Parliament session today.

He said the Health Ministry would also build a Nurses' College costing about RM 18 million under the Eighth Malaysian Plan.  

The college, which would be built in Sibu, will have the capability of training more than 360 trainees at one time.

Dato' Seri Tiong, in his oral question to the Health Minister, had asked whether the Ministry would add or set up more training centres to train local Sarawakians in Kuching or whether towns,  in an effort to overcome the acute shortage of manpower in the existing hospitals in Sarawak.

He also said apart from these, the Government had the intention of building new hostels for nurses for the Miri and Sarikei hospitals under the Plan.

On whether the Health Ministry has plans to set up more health services
centers and clinics in rural areas in Bintulu, Dato' Seri Tiong said he has
been informed that the government was currently building a rural clinic in
Kakus which had been approved.

Under the 7 Malaysian Plan, works has started on the clinic in May and
scheduled to be completed by August next year.

"Under the 8th Malaysian Plan, plans are afoot to build another rural
clinic in  Labang," he said, adding that annual allocation is being
channeled to the Sarawak Health Departmenl, from the Federal Health
Ministry to repair and maintain the existing health institutions including
rural clinics.

Dato' Seri Tiong said he would also appeal to the Health Ministry to build
three more rural clinics in Kampung Jepak, one between Jelalong and Tubau and another between Binyo and Pandan.  

The clinics would be able to serve the residents of these areas...END