Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, a doctor and advocate for public health, died at the age of 100 on Monday. Her family confirmed that she died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 28. She was accorded a state funeral, with an official statement naming Pusara Negara in Putrajaya as her burial place. Hasmah worked on issues that reached well beyond her public role as the wife of a prime minister. She championed maternal and child health, family planning, literacy, drug-use prevention and mental health, in her public work. Her career as a doctor and her advocacy helped keep community health and women’s wellbeing in national conversations. The state funeral recognises a long public life shaped by both medical service and national advocacy.

All primary and secondary schools under the Lubok Antu and Kanowit District Education Offices have been ordered to close temporarily as haze pushed API readings above 200. The Sarawak Education Department said the closure took effect immediately on Sept 21. Home-based teaching and learning will continue under Ministry of Education disaster-management guidance. Schools near districts with API readings above 200 may also consider PdPR, with pupils’ health and safety as the deciding factor. At 9am, Lubok Antu and Kanowit recorded API readings of 205 and 209. By 10am, the two readings had risen to 207 and 212, both in the very unhealthy range. The department said schools may prepare for reopening if the API trend falls below 200; no fixed reopening date was announced. Parents and students should follow the latest school or education-department notice before preparing to return.

Sarawak accounted for 11 of Malaysia’s 21 “unhealthy” air-quality stations at 8.30am on Monday, with Kuching recording an API reading of 158. Serian was the highest in the state at 168, followed by Kapit at 166 and Sri Aman at 160. Miri and Bintulu also recorded 158, while Samarahan was 157, Sibu 156 and Samalaju 155. The readings show the haze remains a broad state-level problem rather than being confined to one town. The Department of Environment said it is continuing round-the-clock monitoring. Wind direction and hotspot activity can change the numbers during the day, so residents should check the latest API before deciding on prolonged outdoor activity, especially if they are in a vulnerable group.

Haze worsened across Sarawak on Friday, with Kuching still in the unhealthy range and Kanowit becoming the state’s first monitoring station to reach the very unhealthy category. Kanowit’s Air Pollutant Index (API) rose from 186 at 8am to 209 at 2pm, according to Sarawak’s API status data. Kapit also moved from moderate to unhealthy at 152. Kuching improved from 192 at 8am to 178 at 2pm, while Samarahan fell from 184 to 171 and Lundu from 176 to 142. Even so, 13 locations remained in the unhealthy band at 2pm, including Sibu, Sarikei, Bintulu, Betong and Sri Aman. An API reading of 101 to 200 is classified as unhealthy, while 201 to 300 is very unhealthy. Bario was the only location in the good category at 2pm, with a reading of 50. Residents should check the latest station reading before spending long periods outdoors, especially if they are children, older adults or have respiratory and heart conditions.

Sarawak expects as many as 30,000 people may need palliative care by 2030, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said. Dr Sim said the state is expanding access to end-of-life care through the free Hospice and Palliative Care Centre, which is run by Kuching Life Care Society with Ministry of Health hospital services operating on its premises. The centre increased its capacity from eight beds to 16 after opening its service in April. He said palliative care is also planned as part of the Sarawak Cancer Centre, currently targeted to operate by 2032. The projection is an estimate, not a confirmed patient count, and the report did not announce a final statewide bed target. The immediate issue is capacity: the centre’s growth has outpaced workforce expansion, while families who cannot afford home hospice care still need accessible support near the end of life.

Lundu and Serian recorded hazardous air quality early Tuesday, as haze conditions worsened across Sarawak. Readings at 6am put Lundu at API 329 and Serian at 303. Kuching was at 241, with Samarahan at 239, Tebedu at 242, Sri Aman at 230 and Lubok Antu at 212 — all in the very unhealthy range. The latest figures mark a sharp deterioration from Monday: Lundu had been at 260 at noon, while Serian rose from 222 to 303. Other stations, including Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, Miri and Betong, remained unhealthy. Kapit and Limbang were below 100, while Bario recorded 38. Air quality can change through the day, so people in affected areas should check the latest official API reading before planning prolonged outdoor activity, especially for children, older people and those with breathing problems.

Serian remains under a haze emergency, with non-essential workplaces closed while authorities wait for the air pollutant index to fall below 500. The emergency was declared after the district’s API climbed above the very hazardous threshold. Essential services, including supermarkets, petrol stations, banks and security forces, are allowed to operate. Schools in 12 districts — including Kuching, Padawan, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan and Serian — are closed from Sept 7 to 11. Lessons continue through home-based teaching during the closure. The order is confined to Serian; it is not a movement-control order. The emergency will be lifted when the API drops below 500, so residents should check official air-quality updates before making plans or travelling into the affected area.

Kuching's API was 285 at 2pm Thursday, putting the city in the Very Unhealthy band as haze continued to affect Sarawak. Residents planning a long stretch outdoors should check the newest reading rather than rely on the 2pm figure. Children, older people, pregnant women and people with heart or respiratory conditions face higher risk. Anyone who develops breathing difficulty should seek medical care. Lubok Antu posted the 2pm watch's most severe reading at 469, rated Very Hazardous. IPD Serian was at 370 and Lundu at 305, both Hazardous; Samarahan recorded 271 and Sri Aman 282, joining Kuching in the Very Unhealthy range. Miri's 100 was Moderate. The API is a 24-hour running average based on the dominant pollutant, not a single moment outdoors: 201 to 300 is Very Unhealthy, 301 to 400 Hazardous and 401 to 500 Very Hazardous.

Kuching’s air quality worsened again on Monday afternoon, with the API reaching 366 at 4pm. Samarahan stood at 350 and Serian at 445, while Lundu reached 405. All four readings were in the hazardous band. The same 4pm update placed Tebedu at 399, Lubok Antu at 396 and Sri Aman at 334, also hazardous. Sarikei, Sibu and Mukah were in the very unhealthy range at 277, 243 and 216 respectively. API readings move through the day, so the afternoon figures should not be treated as a forecast for tonight. Sarawak’s disaster committee said there was no need for an emergency declaration yet. If a local reading reaches 500, the matter would first be taken up with the National Disaster Management Agency, and any emergency would apply only to the affected locality—not the whole state. Offices, schools and activities in that locality would be required to close under such a declaration, apart from essential services. For areas at API 201 and above, residents are advised to limit outdoor exposure and wear an N95 mask when going out, or at least a three-ply mask if one is unavailable. Children, older people and those with breathing problems should take extra care and seek medical help if symptoms worsen.

Seven Sarawak locations were in the hazardous API band by 8am on Monday, Aug 31, including Kuching and Samarahan. Kuching recorded 317 and Samarahan 330. Serian was the highest at 476, while Tebedu (385), Lubok Antu (367), Lundu (349) and Sri Aman (326) made up the other four hazardous readings. The same NREB table placed Sarikei at 267, Sibu at 219 and Mukah at 214 — all in the very unhealthy range. An API reading of 301 or above is classified as hazardous, while 201–300 is very unhealthy. These readings can change during the day. Residents should check the latest official update before making outdoor plans. Children, older adults and people with heart or lung conditions should avoid strenuous outdoor activity, and anyone with serious breathing difficulty or chest pain should seek medical attention.

Sarawak has set API 500 as the line for closing most workplaces — but no shutdown order is in force now. Under the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee’s progressive haze guidelines, an API reading above 500 would close government and private-sector offices and workplaces, with essential services excluded. The closure would remain pending a national disaster-emergency declaration. At 2pm on Aug 30, APIMS recorded 425 at Serian, 336 at Samarahan and 313 at Kuching. Those readings are below 500, but the current rules already call for outdoor work to be avoided at 400–500. At 301–400, employers must assess visibility, drivers should use headlights and outdoor workers should use N95 respirators. Events are still a separate decision: organisers decide whether to continue, postpone or cancel unless an authority issues a specific directive. For workers in Kuching and elsewhere in Sarawak, check the reading at the worksite and official notices before sending staff outdoors; waiting for 500 is not the safety advice.

A stray dog found near Mile 9, Jalan Penrissen tested positive for rabies in early August, prompting Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng to remind residents that the local risk had not ended. [image: 1786248347758-rabies.jpg] Image: The Borneo Post Wee spoke about the case during his Aug 8 Shall WEE Talk session. He said Kuching and nearby areas still faced rabies risk and called for cooperation with vaccination and control efforts. The next mass anti-rabies vaccination campaign was expected after the Kuching Food Festival ended on Aug 16, but the report did not provide a venue list or schedule. What to do after a bite or scratch Do not wait for symptoms or try to judge the animal by appearance. Wash the wound immediately with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes, apply an antiseptic if available, and seek medical assessment as soon as possible. Tell the clinic exactly where and when the contact happened. Do not catch, hit or transport a suspected animal yourself. Record its location and appearance from a safe distance and notify the relevant local authority or veterinary service. Pet owners should keep rabies vaccination current and avoid allowing dogs or cats to roam. This article records a case reported in early August. It does not mean every stray animal around Mile 9 is infected, and it should not replace current outbreak notices or medical advice. Reported area: Mile 9, Jalan Penrissen, Kuching Confirmed detail: One stray dog tested positive Sources: The Borneo Post · WHO rabies guidance · Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak

Sarawak still has 931 vacant medical officer posts in the public healthcare system. [image: 1785319570836-sarawak_healthcare_vacancies_20260729-resized.jpg] Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said only 2,188 of 3,119 approved medical officer posts had been filled as of June 30. The ministry has deployed 575 contract medical officers, bringing the effective number of medical officers serving Sarawak to 2,763. Other shortages listed Public healthcare workforce: 25,635 filled out of 31,409 approved posts Specialists: 263 vacancies out of 932 approved posts Nurses: 1,226 vacancies out of 7,966 approved posts Pharmacists: 901 filled out of 975 approved posts, with 163 contract pharmacists supporting service Dr Dzulkefly said the ministry will continue filling vacancies through recruitment, permanent and contract appointments, and deployment based on the needs of health facilities in Sarawak. Location: Sarawak Details: Written Dewan Negara reply to Senator Pele Peter Tinggom Photo: The Borneo Post / Pexels Source: The Borneo Post What do you think?

SGH handled 2,975 ventilated patients last year, up from nearly 2,300 in 2020. [image: 1785027843706-sgh_critical_care.png] Source: DayakDaily Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching is seeing heavier pressure in critical care. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the rise shows Sarawak needs to keep building hospital capacity so seriously ill patients can get proper care. The figure came up at the Sarawak Critical Care Conference 2026 in Kuching on July 25. SGH's Medical Critical Care Unit is now a 13-bed facility focused mainly on critically ill medical patients. Conference organising chairperson Dr Rachel Chin Wei Ven said critical care depends on a full team, from doctors and nurses to pharmacists, physiotherapists and support staff. Location: Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching Details: 2,975 ventilated patients in 2025, compared with nearly 2,300 in 2020 Source: https://dayakdaily.com/critical-care-demand-rises-as-sgh-ventilated-patient-numbers-near-3000/ What do you think?

Two rabies cases were confirmed this week in Siburan and Jalan Puncak Borneo, both linked to dog bite cases. [image: 1784973849117-rabies_siburan.jpg] Source: DayakDaily KUCHING, July 25 - Pet owners around Siburan and Puncak Borneo are being reminded to stay alert after two animal samples tested positive for rabies between July 20 and July 24. Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said 22 animal samples were tested during the period. Two came back positive. Where the cases were found Kampung Simpok, Siburan: stray dog Kampung Sinar Baru, Batu 14, Jalan Puncak Borneo: free-roaming pet dog Wee said the situation is not at major outbreak level, but rabies is still around and residents should not treat it lightly. Dog owners are urged to bring their pets for vaccination when the next drives are held. Avoid touching stray animals, and report bite cases quickly. Location: Siburan and Jalan Puncak Borneo Details: 2 positive cases from 22 animal samples tested Source: https://dayakdaily.com/public-urged-not-to-let-guard-down-as-two-rabies-cases-detected-in-siburan-puncak-borneo/ What do you think?