Pfizer – Malaysia Health Fellows Help Bridge Urban-Rural Healthcare Divide

Improvement of rural healthcare in Malaysia has always remained a priority for the government with a simple reason that, regardless of socioeconomic background or geographic locations all Malaysians should have access to basic healthcare.

To complement the government’s public health service, Pfizer Malaysia Health Fellows program has been carrying out missions to Sabah and Sarawak since 2007 to help improve access to healthcare and health literacy in local communities through health education talk and free basic screening program. Working with non-government organisations, Pfizer employees volunteer under the Health Fellows program to offer medical services to communities in semi-urban and rural areas around Malaysia, usually spending 5 – 8 days in remote locations.

 In the recent Pfizer Malaysia Health Fellows Appreciation Ceremony, Works Minister and Sarawak State Assembly for Ba’kelalan, YB Baru Bian attended the occasion to recognize the contributions of the Health Fellows volunteers for their 12th health mission in the remote communities of Ba’kelalan – Lawas. Throughout the 12th Pfizer Malaysia Health Fellows mission, the volunteers travelled to Long Semadoh Rayeh, Long Tanid, Buduk Bui & Long Langai to screen a total of 165 children and 338 adults. The mission was carried out by 10 volunteers from Pfizer Malaysia in partnership with local non-profit organisation – Barefoot Mercy who helped identify the communities for the mission and coordinated the dental team which complemented the outreach.