Answer to Oral Question PL131

Reading Summary

📖 Reading time: 8 minutes
📊 Word count: 1,415 words

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF

QUESTION:

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF asks the MINISTER OF HEALTH to state the current status of the ministry's plans and strategies to enhance and strengthen the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital as a referral and tertiary hospital in providing the best, quality, and effective healthcare services to meet current and future needs.

YANG BERHORMAT MENTERI KESIHATAN

ANSWER:

Alhamdulillah, thank you for the question from Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman regarding the current status of the ministry's plans and strategies to enhance and strengthen the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital as a referral and tertiary hospital, and the specific provisions for upgrading facilities at Hospital RIPAS and district hospitals to provide the best, quality, and effective healthcare services to meet current and future needs.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang DiPertua Dewan,

Hospital RIPAS has served as the main referral hospital in the country at the tertiary level for all residents of Brunei Darussalam since 1984. To ensure it retains this status, continuous efforts have indeed been carried out with various identified projects, some of which have been implemented, are in progress, and are also in planning, demonstrating the Ministry of Health's commitment to ensuring that RIPAS Hospital can provide high-quality health services, in line with current and future needs.

Among the initiatives by the Ministry of Health in this regard include:

• Strengthening Infrastructure and Facility Development, which includes the Construction of a New Hospital Block. The Ministry of Health is in the process of developing a new hospital block with a capacity of 500 beds involving a budget of BND 120 million under RKN 12. This block will expand the treatment capacity for needs that have increased from year to year and improve existing medical facilities.

• Besides that, the upgrade and repair works of Hospital RIPAS have been carried out in phases over 10 years from 2015 to ensure medical facilities remain at their best level. Hospital RIPAS requests specific allocations each year for this effort, with a planned budget for the financial year 2025/2026 amounting to BND 2.5 million and for the financial year 2026/2027 totaling BND 5.5 million. Implementation needs to be phased and subject to factors such as service disruption, availability of places for temporary patient transfers during upgrade works, and manpower for project management.

Alhamdulillah, with the availability of provisions and joint efforts to realize projects at Hospital RIPAS, completed projects include the upgrade of the Breast Imaging Centre, OT1 & OT2 Surgery Rooms, CCU ward upgrade, new PABX installation, and new PA system installation. InsyaAllah, in the near future, upgrade projects at Ward 15 (isolation ward) and the Orthopedic Clinic will be completed. In the planning for this year, included are planned projects InsyaAllah such as: renovation and expansion of outpatient pharmacy services space; repair works of the slope near the Women and Children Building; installation of a new roof; upgrade of surgery rooms OT 3, 4, and 5; new nurse call replacement at the Women and Children Building; upgrade of wards 10 & 11 as an intensive care unit; improvement of the Respiratory Clinic with the addition of a Pulmonary Function Laboratory; and renovation of two bungalows in Kampong Kianggeh, as an outpatient physiotherapy clinic.

A very important initiative is the strengthening of Clinical Services and Expertise to ensure excellence in service delivery. Service delivery quality is always monitored by the Ministry of Health, and improvement/upgrade efforts are continued, especially in terms of waiting time for treatment such as surgery; types and diversity of treatment; as well as the purchase of new or replacement equipment to the latest ones, in line with international standards and end-user requirements. Alhamdulillah, improvements in waiting times have decreased for circumcision services from 2 years to the next school holiday where a special facility in Kianggeh has been provided for this service, open at all times regardless of school holidays.

For cataract surgery, the Ministry of Health faces issues with waiting time because this cataract surgery service had to be postponed while the country dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic. Alhamdulillah, a total of 4,389 cases have been successfully carried out from January 2023 to December 2024, while the number of waiting cases has decreased to 743 cases as of February 2025.

Meanwhile, examples of improvement from the upgrade of devices/equipment being implemented include a new purchase of the Endoscopic Ultrasound System (EUS) for the Gastroenterology Unit, which with its availability gives a positive impact in adding diagnostic capacity within the country and directly reducing the sending of patients abroad.

In line with this, continuous efforts are being made to attract and train more specialists in specific fields such as surgical, oncology, cardiology expertise; to ensure RIPAS remains the main referral center. Since 2000, several Basic Specialty Training (BST) programs have been implemented, involving specialties such as internal medicine, primary health care, surgery, psychiatry, and emergency. Doctor and nursing specialty training within the country is also expected to expand, in line with the RIPAS Hospital's status as a "Teaching Hospital." For example, the establishment of Basic Specialty Training (BST) in Obstetrics and Gynecology is currently being planned as an additional program. Furthermore, another significant development is the launch of the Diabetic Nurse Educator Diploma in Health Sciences conducted in collaboration with Politeknik Brunei and JCHS.

These initiatives reflect ongoing efforts to further strengthen the healthcare education and training system, with the aim of producing a more skilled and quality healthcare workforce.

The Ministry of Health has also made significant investments in Digitalization and Innovation initiatives in Health Services. This includes the Transition to a New EMR (Electronic Medical Record) System (BruHIMS 2.0 - ISH MED). Planning for upgrading the electronic medical record (EMR) system is actively underway to ensure more efficient patient record storage and better integration of health systems. Related to this is the strengthening of Telemedicine and Digital Health where the BruHealth Platform continues to be improved, including the expansion of teleconsultation and digital therapeutics (such as the Balance app, specifically for Diabetes care), allowing patients to access health services more easily and quickly.

Moreover, Improving Efficiency and Accessibility of Health Services is also a focus of the Ministry of Health. The Modernization of the Patient Management System has been launched, with the Ministry having improved the registration system and appointment scheduling to reduce waiting times and ensure a smoother workflow. In line with the Ministry of Health's Strategy, Service Coordination with District Hospitals continues, with Hospital RIPAS continuing to function as the main referral center, with closer collaboration with district hospitals and health centers to ensure the continuity of patient care from primary to tertiary levels.

The Ministry of Health, in its pursuit of excellence, has emphasized strengthening Quality and Patient Safety. This includes Strengthening Safety Standards and Accreditation. Continuous measures are taken to ensure Hospital RIPAS meets international standards regarding patient safety, risk management, and service quality. Through the establishment of the Quality and Patient Safety Unit at the Ministry of Health's level and at the hospital and clinical services levels, a Safety Culture can be instilled, including the operation of an online Incident Report (IR) and MOHCares application; and the implementation of International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG) initiatives.

Training and Professional Development Programs for Health Staff also play an important role, where regular professional training programs are being strengthened to ensure the health workforce remains competitive and capable of providing the best treatment. Continuous Professional Development activities are a mandatory criterion to maintain registration with the relevant professional boards. In addition, teaching activities and Campaigns, as well as awareness-raising about health issues, are actively carried out at Hospital RIPAS and “off-site” venues, aimed at increasing public, patient, and RIPAS Hospital and Ministry of Health staff awareness about issues such as Mental Health, Antimicrobial Resistance, World Pharmacy Day, Hand Hygiene, Child Development, and others.

As the main referral hospital in Brunei, Hospital RIPAS continues to undergo a comprehensive transformation in terms of infrastructure, clinical services, digital innovation, and operational efficiency. With the planning being implemented, RIPAS Hospital will continue to grow to meet the country's health needs, in line with the Ministry of Health's commitment to providing the best, quality and effective healthcare to the people.

Thank you, Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua Dewan.